Becoming of a friendship
by blueberry709
Summary: Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy had been best friends for years. But something has changed. Scorpius has been avoiding him for more than a year now and Albus is determined to find out why, in order to save the little that remains of their friendship. BL.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming of a friendship**

**Chapter I**

Albus was lying on his bed. Lost in thought, he couldn't sleep. Rose's words couldn't leave him. _What happened Al? You were such good friends before!_ Yes, they were… And knowing that now things were so different saddened him. The worst part was that he didn't even know why it had changed. Obviously, he was aware of the situation before Rose had told him; it's just that now that someone had said it out loud, it seemed even more real and thus, more painful.

They had been best friends for three years, since the first day they met. Scorpius Malfoy had always been there when Albus needed some comfort, especially after the sorting ceremony, when he had thought his entire family would reject him. He, the son of the Great Harry Potter, had been sorted in Slytherin. What a shame! His brother, James, had looked horrified, and he hadn't talked to him for days. Even Rose had been a little cold with him after that. He had expected better from her, since she wasn't a Gryffindor either, unlike the rest of their family. He couldn't blame her though, with the father she had, it was only predictable… And, you can't compare Slytherin to Ravenclaw, can you?

Albus remembered his first day at Hogwarts very clearly, like if it was yesterday.

He was afraid, afraid of deceiving his parents. James was always the one who got all the attention. He was loud, funny and strong-minded. And of course, a _Gryffindor_. Albus didn't know why his brother had kept teasing him so much about being sorted in Slytherin. Why not Hufflepuff? He was quiet, shy and hard-working. Actually, he should have known he wouldn't be a Gryffindor; he didn't seem to have courage at all. Or maybe he knew, but didn't want to admit it, that's why he had been so nervous when he had entered the Great Hall.

When he had heard "Albus Severus Potter", his heart had missed a beat. When he sat on the stool, he was slightly shaking. _Oh, a Potter_, the Sorting Hat said quietly, with a hint of amusement. _Not in Slytherin, please_, Albus thought. _Just like your father_, the Sorting Hat replied. _Do you really think it would be _that_ bad?_ Albus considered this for a moment. After all, his father had reassured him that the Houses didn't matter at all, and that he'll always love him the same, whatever happened. So why was he worried? _See?_ The Sorting Hat asked. Albus looked around him. His eyes met those of Scorpius. The blond boy was sitting at the Slytherin table. He was looking at him too. _Like the rest of the room, _thought Albus. Scorpius smiled at him, the same shy smile, as he had in the Hogwarts Express. Surprisingly, Albus felt lighter and more sure of himself. _No, it wouldn't be that bad_, he answered. _Good_, said the Sorting Hat, content.

Scorpius had greeted him warmly when he had joined the rest of the Slytherins, despite the fact he didn't deserve it. He was very grateful, but it made him feel even more guilty. James hadn't been polite at all with Scorpius when they first met.

Albus, James, Will, and Rose were sitting in an empty compartment of the Hogwarts Express. Suddenly, the door opened. Scorpius Malfoy was standing at the doorstep, hesitant. He did not expect _them_.

"What do you want, _Malfoy_?" asked James aggressively.

"I was looking for a place to sit", he replied coldly.

"Well, you certainly _can't_ stay here, as you see, it's already occupied", James retorted.

Will sneered. Scorpius scowled and Albus felt his heart sink.

"But there's some space if he w-" Albus didn't finish his sentence. James had glanced at him with a murderous look. He lowered his gaze, ashamed. But Scorpius had seen the look in those big green eyes, so when Albus looked back at him, the blond smiled timidly before leaving.

Since their fourth year at Hogwarts, their friendship began to weaken as they slowly moved away from each other. They both made new friends, especially Scorpius, who, unlike Albus, didn't have siblings and cousins to count on. The change hadn't been abrupt, so they hadn't realised that they were slowly becoming strangers.

Now, it was their sixth year. There was still no improvement. Of course, they still talked sometimes, but they certainly weren't as close as before. At first, it hadn't bothered Albus that much; it had seemed like a natural stage of their friendship. Although, now, he realised that he wanted that friendship back. Scorpius had been his first true friend. He was not easily replaceable. Old memories overwhelmed him. _How could I be so reckless and let him go so easily?_ He got angry against himself. _Does he think of me at all from time to time?_ Albus wondered. _It seems I won't get any sleep tonight_, he said to himself.

As Albus had imagined, he kept thinking about Scorpius during the entire night. At least it served him to something; he decided to act, and try to repair the mistakes of the past. He was Harry Potter's son, goddammit!


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

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><p><em><span>Author's note:<span> A big thank you to everyone who took some of their time to read the first chapter. An even bigger thank you to those who faved it, reviewed, or subscribed. I didn't expect people to find my story so quickly, nor having faves just overnight._

_This chapter will be the last one telling the back story, sorry for the lack of interaction, but it was necessary^^._

_The lyrics are from "Time isn't healing", by Tom Felton. _

_I don't know about you, but I love reading a fic while listening to the song used in it. Let me know if you like it or not, so that I know for the next chapters._

_Ok, enough babbling._

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><p><strong>Becoming of a friendship<strong>

**Chapter II**

Scorpius was lying on his bed… As every night, he was thinking of that same person. _Albus Potter_. He was well aware that he shouldn't be. They weren't friends anymore, and it was because of him. He was the one who had decided to put an end to that friendship. He couldn't be friends with Albus anymore, not if he liked him more than in a friendly way. He couldn't dare risking his feelings being revealed.

The way he felt about his best friend had changed since the end of the third year. He had started feeling uncomfortable near him, he acted awkward and his heart rate increased whenever Albus was around. At the beginning, he hadn't paid attention to all these signs. When he had noticed, he didn't understand why. But during the summer, he had analyzed _every_ little detail and had come to the conclusion that there was no way he would let this happen. It should be, and remain forever, his darkest secret. That's the reason why he slowly, yet firmly, distanced himself from Albus, as discreetly as he could. He had tried making new friends, always bearing in mind though that he shouldn't hurt Albus. It wasn't his fault, but above all, he definitely couldn't see him suffer, knowing he would be the responsible one. He wanted to see the boy he loved happy, even if it required him out of the way. It had been a painful decision, but it was the only one he could think of. There was no other way. He couldn't stay in company of Albus all the time, and obviously, he couldn't tell him the truth. Albus would completely freak out; he would be scared, and he would never speak to him or look at him ever again. _At least now_, he thought, _we still talk sometimes_. It was unthinkable to consider a life without _any_ interaction with Albus. It was physically impossible for him. He _had_ to be able to look at him and talk to him whenever he had the urge to. That's why he had thought it was the right decision.

Of course, he could have attempted overlooking his feelings, nay forget them, and continue being friends with Albus, but Scorpius could assure you he had tried his hardest; it was just infeasible. The proof was, that even after two years, his feelings were still the same, if not stronger. So he had to deal with it and hide it as best as he could. For now, it had worked quite well.

The good thing about being a Malfoy, was that you could hide your emotions perfectly, precisely because you always knew exactly how you felt. You could lie to people, but you should never lie to yourself. It was a rule. And Scorpius _was_ a Malfoy, even if he wasn't the perfect representative.

How many times hadn't he wished to be a girl? Things would have been so much easier! Or why did it have to be his _best friend_? Why couldn't he be just _normal_ like everyone else? There was no answer for his questions and he knew it. He kept asking them though. Maybe he was a masochist, it would explain at lot of things, he thought with bitter sarcasm.

Then, he heard a sigh. He held his breath. He knew exactly who it came from. Scorpius turned his head to his right. Obviously, he couldn't see anything. It was a matter of habit. The thought of Albus right there, so close, not even two meters away from him, comforted him. Apparently, the boy who was torturing him unconsciously couldn't sleep either, he laughed at himself. _How ironic_. And then, curiosity gnawed him. Why couldn't _he_ sleep? Was he thinking about some girl? His heart clenched at the thought. He wanted to growl, but he reminded himself he had to stay quiet. He didn't want Albus talking to him _now_. _Ha, as if he would! _he cried sadly. He bit his lip. It was _not_ the right moment to start crying.

Now that he knew the dark-haired boy was awake too, he could never fall asleep. _Great_, he thought. And why did Albus have to be in the bed just next to him? _Right_, he thought, _because we were friends_.

Indeed, at their very first day at Hogwarts, when they had had to choose a bed in the Slytherin dormitory, Albus had chosen the one in the corner, and Scorpius the one next to it. Who would have thought at that time that it wasn't a good idea? Scorpius wanted to laugh, laugh of exasperation and anger. He wished he could go numb and just stop feeling anything at all. He was desperately in love with Albus, and he knew it wouldn't change anytime soon. Scorpius started humming to himself in order to distract himself.

_And tick tock, goes the clock_

_Time is going so slow_

_And I'm supposed to be fast asleep_

_Like a couple hours ago_

Albus sighed again. Scorpius held his breath one more time. _Can't he stop sighing? It just makes everything worse!_ Scorpius tried to ignore the other boy's presence.

_So I, I need to exercise_

_Alright, I've got to rest these eyes_

_And I, I need to knock on some doors_

_And I won't have to lie here by myself anymore_

Against his will, the memory of their first dialogue came back to life…

Albus and Scorpius were walking side by side, like all the other first years, heading towards the Slytherin common room. It was the first time they would see it. They were both silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. Eventually, Scorpius passed Albus and stopped right in front of him.

"I haven't introduced myself properly yet."

Albus looked at him, somewhat surprised by his sudden statement.

"I'm Sorpius, Scorpius Malfoy."

The blond boy held out his hand apprehensively. Albus hesitated for a second, and then accepted it, with greater determination.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Albus."

They both grinned. They already knew perfectly well who each other was; it was simply a matter of courtesy and etiquette.

And from that moment, they remained inseparable.

_Inseparable, until I had to mess everything up_, Scorpius corrected himself.

'_Cause time isn't healing_

_Pretty sick of staring at my ceiling_

_And I, I can't help the way I feel about you_

'_Cause time isn't healing_

_Pretty sick of staring at my ceiling_

_And I, I can't help the way I feel about you_

_I have a smoke to try to send me to sleep_

_But things aren't all that they seem_

_The only time I seem to spend with you_

_Seems to be in my dreams_

A single tear rolled down Scorpius' cheek.

_So I, I need to let [him] go_

_Would it have worked? I guess I'll never know_

_And I, I need to hit the road_

_And find me a girl of my own_

'_Cause time isn't healing_

_Pretty sick of staring at my ceiling_

_And I, I can't help the way I feel about you_

'_Cause time isn't healing_

_Pretty sick of staring at my ceiling_

_And I, I can't help the way I feel about you_

_And I, I can't help the way I feel about you_

_And I, I can't help the way I've fallen for you_

Scorpius fell asleep at last, only one person wandering in his mind.

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><p><em><span>Next chapter:<span> Albus talks to Rose and takes initiative._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming of a friendship**

**Chapter III**

Albus woke up in a really bad mood. He almost hadn't slept at all. The dark-haired boy glanced to his left. Scorpius was apparently still sleeping. _He doesn't seem to care about what we had anymore…_

Albus went to the Great Hall for breakfast. He sat next to David, as usual.

David had become his new best friend, since fourth year. He was a nice boy, with a good sense of humour. But he wasn't like Scorpius, Albus couldn't resist adding. Scorpius was… _special_. He didn't really know how to describe him. Scorpius had a charm that few people are fortunate to have. His company was not replaceable.

"Good morning Al'." David greeted him.

"'mornin'." mumbled Albus.

"Why so grumpy, man?"

"Nothing, just very tired."

He knew he could trust David, but Albus didn't want to share his concerns. He felt it was too _personal_. And maybe _stupid_ too. Why did he care so much about his former best friend suddenly? There was no particular reason, really. It had to be because Rose had reminded him.

_Rose!_

Albus jumped up.

"Where are you going? You haven't eaten yet!" David asked, surprised.

"I have something to do…" Albus answered while scanning the crowd searching for Rose.

"Can't it wait?"

"No." he breathed, before running off to join his cousin, who was about to leave the room.

"Rose!"

"Albus?" Rose looked at him questioningly. "What do you want?"

"Can we… Er, can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure" she said with a grin, and then looked at her friends apologetically.

* * *

><p>"To be honest, I'm really curious. You don't come talk that often."<p>

Albus smiled, a little embarrassed.

They were sitting by the lake. It was sunny outside.

"So? What's that big matter that can't wait?" she asked teasingly.

"Well, I spent the night thinking about what you said the other day…"

Rose looked confused.

"About what?"

"Scorpius and I."

"Oh." was the only thing Rose said. She waited for him to go on.

"I realised I miss him… At lot, actually. I want to be friends with him again."

He paused. Rose remained quiet.

"But... I don't know what to do."

Rose seemed to think for a while, and then simply said:

"Tell him."

"What?"

"Tell him what you just told me."

"Excuse me?"

"Come on Al'! What's so hard to understand?" she asked, exasperated.

At first, Albus thought she was joking. But she was extremely serious. At times like these, the resemblance between mother and daughter was striking.

"I-I can't just go tell him that!" he exclaimed.

"Why?"

"It would be too weird! We haven't talked in two years!"

To his surprise, Rose laughed.

"Something funny?" he asked, annoyed.

"You seem so lost! It's pretty cute, you know?"

"Hey!" he cried indignantly.

"You blushed!" She started giggling again.

"I did _not_! Stop making a fool out of me!"

"Aw, don't be shy Alby." she teased him.

This time, Albus couldn't help laughing too.

"Okay, okay, but don't call me _that_."

"But it's cute, isn't it … _Alby_?" she asked mischievously.

Albus gave her a murderous look. But then he smiled and added:

"So, what's your advice?"

"I already told you. It's nothing special. Just tell him the truth. You have nothing to lose."

"What if-"

"There's no _what if_! He won't bite you. On the contrary, I'm certain he'll be glad." she claimed with absolute confidence.

"If you say so…"

Albus wasn't as confident as his cousin.

"What are you waiting for then?"

"What? _Now?_"

"Yes! Come on!"

Albus felt his throat dry and swallowed with difficulty.

"Oh please, don't make that face. Besides, I can come with you if you want." Rose proposed.

"NO! No, I mean… I'll be alright I guess."

"As you wish."

Albus nodded and turned away. But then he stopped, as if he had forgotten something.

"Rose?"

"Yes, Albus?"

"Thank you."

Rose gave him her most warm and genuine smile.

"Anytime, cousin."

Albus smiled back, feeling relieved.

He went back to the castle.

Albus hadn't been able to concentrate during class. How could he approach Scorpius without looking like a fool? They were taking all their classes in common, but Albus still hadn't gotten the opportunity to approach him. Actually, he had had the chance to talk to him during the day, it's just that he didn't dare make a move.

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><p>It was dinner time. Albus entered the Great Hall. He walked towards the Slytherin table. David wasn't there yet. He suddenly felt guilty; he had royally ignored his friend today. And then, his heart skipped a beat. Scorpius was sitting alone. Where were his friends?<p>

_Wait… maybe I could… Yes, this is my only chance._

Albus sat hesitantly next to Scorpius. Scorpius glanced at him for a second, a bit surprised, but said nothing. Albus opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

_Just relax, it's nothing terrible_, Albus thought, trying to calm himself.

"Hey." he finally said.

_Was it the right thing to say? Why isn't he greeting me back yet? What should I say next?_

_Oh, shut up, Albus!_

"Hey." Scorpius replied after a while.

_That voice… I've missed it so much lately._

"What's up?"

"Nothing special… What about you?" Scorpius asked.

"Um, just excited about this week's Quidditch match, I guess."

_Okay, that sounded completely lame._

"Yeah, me too."

Scorpius seemed avoiding making eye contact. Albus was feeling really awkward. He had hoped Scorpius would be much more talkative.

_How stupid of me. What did you think, Albus? That everything would return to normal only with a pathetic 'hey'?_

"Albus, here you are!"

_Huh?_

It was David.

"I was waiting for you downs-" David trailed off. He had just noticed Scorpius.

He looked at them suspiciously.

"Oh, I didn't know you two started talking _again_."

The way he had accentuated the 'again' made Albus feel uncomfortable. David knew they used to be friends but he had never appreciated Scorpius that much. Albus never understood the reason. That was the reason why they both avoided the subject.

Albus turned towards Scorpius. The blond boy's cheeks were inexplicably flushed. He rose abruptly.

"Scorpius?"

"I don't want to disturb you." he said, looking away.

"But…"

"I wasn't hungry anyway. Bye."

Albus stood speechless. David elbowed him lightly but the dark-haired boy didn't react.

"Al'?"

Albus faced him, feeling the anger rise.

"What was _that_ about?" he asked, irritated.

"What?" David asked innocently.

"Why did you have to dispel him?"

"I didn't do anything! _He_ was the one to get up!" David tried to defend himself.

"You clearly _wanted _to though, didn't you?"

"I…"

Albus was losing his cool. David was staring at him with round eyes. He had never seen him like that before. Albus never started an argument, nor pursued it.

"Listen, Scorpius is my friend, whether you like it or not."

"Since when did you-"

"Since whenever I want!" Albus interrupted him.

Then he got up and left without adding another word, ignoring the looks the rest of the students gave him.

"But, Albus!" David called in vain.

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><p>Albus walked angrily to the dungeons. David could be so annoying sometimes! He was aware that he got carried away and that he would have to apologize to David later, but right now he had to find Scorpius, and apologize to him in behalf of his friend. He hoped he didn't have ruined any chance left.<p>

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><p><em><span>Next chapter:<span> Albus finally tells Scorpius that he wants them to become friends again._

_A/N:_ _The next chapter will be in Scorpius' point of view. By the way, do you like the idea of interchanging the point of view in each chapter? How do you like it till now?_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming of a friendship**

**Chapter IV**

Scorpius rushed to the dormitory. He threw himself on his bed, burying his face in his pillow. He was overwhelmed by many emotions. Joy, anger, sadness... It was particularly confusing.

_He talked to me. Albus talked to me after all this time._

Albus had clearly wanted to start a conversation, but then, there was that idiot David Collins who had to come. Scorpius hadn't liked the way Collins had looked at him.

_Hold on, there's something more important to think about. What if Albus starts talking to me again? What am I going to do? Should I encourage him? Or should I remain distant?_ _If I let him approach me, will my secret be threatened? Ugh, that boy is_ _gonna drive me crazy!_

At that time, the boy in question opened the door abruptly. Scorpius jerked his head up in surprise.

_What is _he_ doing _here_? Shouldn't he still be upstairs?_

Albus was standing on the doorstep, panting a little, as if he had rushed to come. His face was flushed and his deep green eyes were fixed on him.

_Merlin, he looks so adorable!_

Albus walked up to him, unsure of himself. He was fidgeting lightly. His shyness made him even cuter.

_Wait, what am I thinking?_

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yes, sure."

Albus sat on his bed, next to Scorpius' one.

"I'm really sorry for what happened previously."

_Oh. He came up to here to _apologize _to _me.

"It's nothing, don't worry." Scorpius said with a smile.

Albus seemed to relax, but he didn't stop there.

"No, really, David was rude. I know you felt unwelcome, and I'm truly sorry for that."

Scorpius didn't know how to respond to that.

"I forgive you. It wasn't your fault anyway."

"Yeah, but he's my friend, I feel responsible."

At the word 'friend', Scorpius winced just a tiny bit. He knew it shouldn't be bothering him; they weren't friends anymore for a while now — thanks to him — but it still hurt him a little inside.

"You don't need to. Actually, I should probably apologize too, you know, I wasn't very hearty with you."

"No, no, you don't have to. I guess you were just in a bad mood. I mean, your friends weren't with you tonight…" Albus said.

Scorpius eyes widened. He hadn't expected Albus to comment on that, much less noticing it at all.

"I-I'm sorry if I said something I shouldn't have…" Albus apologized.

"No, it's nothing. They are working on a project right now, so they're kind of busy."

"Aren't you working with them?" Albus asked, curious.

"It's for the Astrology class. I don't take that course."

"Yeah, I know."

There was a long, awkward, silence.

Albus didn't seem to intend to leave. He seemed lost in thought.

"So, do you want something else?" Scorpius asked.

Albus jumped.

"Huh?"

"Do you want something else?" Scorpius repeated.

"Um, yeah…" he answered, without looking at him directly.

Albus hesitated.

_What can he want?_

"I'm listening." Scorpius encouraged him.

"Well, I'm aware it will sound weird and all, especially after all this time…" he paused "but, I was wondering if…" he paused once again.

_Damn, what does he want?_

_Oh God._

_Has he… Has he found out I like him?_

Scorpius started panicking. He felt his cheeks get hot. He closed his eyes tightly.

_Just spit it out already!_

"Would you like being my friend again?" Albus blurted out in one breath.

_What?_

Those last seconds had seemed like a century for him. Scorpius had expected the worst. And there _he_ was, wanting a second chance. Scorpius couldn't help but laugh.

"Is this _funny_?" Albus asked anxiously.

_What a relief!_

"If you don't want to, I'll understand." Albus said, disappointed.

"Of course I do!" Scorpius exclaimed without thinking "It's just that I thought you'd say something bad, judging from your behaviour."

Albus let a light chuckle. He passed his hand through his messy hair, embarrassed. Scorpius' eyes followed the hand unconsciously. He had the sudden urge to know what it felt like to run his fingers through that black hair. He had already touched it before, when they were little, but now it was different.

Albus' voice interrupted his daydreaming.

"So? The answer is yes?"

"Definitely."

Albus grinned instinctively from ear to ear. Scorpius felt dazed. He thought that no one's smile should be so breathtaking.

"What do you want to do now?" Albus asked.

Scorpius blushed. As innocent as his question was, he couldn't help imagining various _things._ _Stop it right there_, he ordered himself.

"Scorpius?"

He loved the way Albus was saying his name.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah, sorry."

Albus laughed again. Scorpius loved his laugh too. But frankly, was there anything he didn't like about that boy? Those emerald eyes, those freckles, that hair that looked so soft and… those _lips_. It was true that Albus looked like a copy of his father, because of the eyes and the hair, but he had inherited his mother's soft and fine features. Oh, and the Weasleys' trademark freckles, Scorpius added, amused. Fortunately, Albus didn't have his father's bad eyesight.

Albus must have felt Scorpius' intense stare, because he cleared his throat.

"I guess I should go find David. I almost yelled at him. So, um, see you later." Albus said.

"Okay." he answered simply.

_Shit. Well done, Scorp'._

Albus left, and Scorpius lay on his bed. _Collins, ugh._ He knew he had acted stupid though. He shouldn't frighten Albus.

_Have I made the right decision? Is it a good idea to be his friend again? Wasn't it me who stopped that friendship? Can I handle my feelings?_

Lots of questions passed through his mind. Well, it was too late now. He had acted instinctively, without thinking twice. But how could he have refused? Scorpius wanted, no, _needed_, Albus' company so badly. And more importantly, Albus _wanted_ his company. There's no way he could not accept that. _It must be a sign or something_, he thought jokingly. He smiled and then sighed. _Ah, that Potter._

* * *

><p>David was eating all alone, next to Albus' empty seat. He still couldn't believe what had happened. Albus had yelled at him and <em>left<em> him for _Malfoy_. Malfoy, the boy who, for years, had forgotten that Albus existed; and now, that same Albus was running after him. _That boy can be so naïve sometimes._ David was sure Malfoy would hurt his friend. His behaviour didn't seem steady… The Slytherin was quite awkward in fact, David observed.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"David?"

David looked up to see Albus' worried face.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry. I… I shouldn't have treated you like that. I hope you're not too mad at me…" he said.

"Don't worry, Al', I forgive you. But… next time, let me know." David replied with what he hoped to be a teasing tone.

Albus answered with a warm smile. David grinned back.

"'Want to eat something?" David asked.

"Yeah… That would be nice."

* * *

><p>When they got back to their dormitory, David was awaiting Albus' reaction. Would he talk to Malfoy again? Would Malfoy talk to him first? Would Albus answer him? But nothing happened, since the curtains of Malfoy's bed had been already pulled. He said goodnight to Albus and went to his bed, at the other end of the room.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming of a friendship**

**Chapter V**

Albus was feeling very pleased this morning. The reason? Scorpius Malfoy. He had finally accepted his proposal to be friends again. No, he had not just accepted it, he _wanted_ it too. Albus felt light hearted. He was feeling the luckiest person on Earth, as if his dearest wish had been granted. Then, he heard the sound of the curtains of the bed next to his own open. Albus drew back his own instantly.

Scorpius was sitting on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes groggily. He looked up at the sound Albus made, and when he saw the excitement in his eyes, he smiled widely.

"Good morning, Albus." he greeted him happily.

"Good morning." Albus whispered, as if he couldn't believe they were actually having that conversation.

"Did you sleep well?" Albus asked, in an attempt to make the talk last longer. Scorpius let a light chuckle.

"Yeah, thanks to you." he answered, and then winked suggestively at the other boy. Albus felt his cheeks get hot. He didn't know how to answer to that. There was an awkward silence.

"I-I didn't mean…er…" Scorpius said, looking at his hands.

His face was as red as the Gryffindor banners. Albus looked at him confused. Scorpius had slept well because they were friends again, right? What's wrong with that? Suddenly, it hit him. He felt his entire face heat up in less than a second.

_Oh Lord._

"Of course you didn't!" he squeaked.

Scorpius had noticed the change of Albus' expression while thinking about his "correction", and he realized he should have kept his mouth shut. He had made everything worse now.

_Idiot! You're the one with a dirty mind, not him!_

"Er, I guess I should head on to the bathroom…" Scorpius said nervously, "To get ready." he added quickly.

_Oh, stop it, Scorpius!_

Albus couldn't blush any harder, he thought. Before saying anything stupid for the third time, he rushed to the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Albus was amused by Scorpius' behaviour, even if it made him feel a little uncomfortable. <em>The poor boy acts quite awkwardly, but I suppose that's normal<em>, he thought. When you start being friends again with someone you haven't talk for years, even if you care a lot about that person, you often behave weirdly because you're too self-aware of anything you say, since you're afraid of making a mistake; at least at the beginning…

Albus put on his school uniform and went to greet David, all but forgetting his friend's awkwardness.

* * *

><p>David opened his eyes, just in time to see Albus inches from his face, clearly planning to wake him up.<p>

"Hello David!" Albus said a little too cheerfully.

David wasn't much of a morning person. He didn't like it when people started talking to him just after he had opened his eyes. Albus knew that, that's why he was never chatty before breakfast. So why the sudden change?

"What do you want?" he asked, in an exasperated tone.

"Nothing in particular," Albus answered, smiling, David's coldness not affecting his good mood at all. "I just came to say 'hi' earlier today, that's all."

David grinned lightly at Albus' innocent look and honesty. "Mmm 'kay. Just let me change and we'll go upstairs to eat." he said. Albus laughed at him heartily.

"What?" David asked impatiently.

"You're just like Uncle Ron! Your brain is located in your stomach!"

David wasn't sure whether he should laugh too or feel pissed off. He decided to simply not answer.

* * *

><p>Albus and David entered the Great Hall. They walked to the Slytherin table. Albus noticed that Scorpius was already there. As if the blond boy had felt his stare, he glanced at him. Albus smiled kindly. Scorpius offered a small smirk back. Albus and David sat quite far from Scorpius, as they used to. At some point, Albus caught Rose's gaze. She was grinning knowingly at him. He winked at his cousin.<p>

* * *

><p>Rose run to caught Albus, before him reaching the dungeons. She grabbed his arm roughly at the end of the hallway. "Not so fast, my dear cousin!" she told him with a sly smirk.<p>

"Oh, Rose, it's you." he said, surprised.

"Who were you expecting?" she asked deviously.

"No one, you just caught me off-guard."

Rose lifted a thin auburn eyebrow. "Anyway, I wanted to verify my assumption. So, you talked to him, didn't you?"

"Yes, last night." he informed her.

It had been easier than what he had imagined. Now he couldn't wait to talk to Scorpius again.

"And?" she asked eagerly.

"Nothing special, really… He seemed glad to hear it. Nothing more." he said sheepishly.

"That's some great news, Albus!" she exclaimed with glee.

"Actually, there's a small problem…"

"What do you mean?" Rose asked; her voice filled with worry.

"David isn't very pleased about it." Albus said sadly. "He's not fond of Scorpius."

"Why should you care?" she asked, exasperated, "You can be friends with whomever you want, Al!"

"Yeah, I know, but he's still my best friend…" he answered, unsure.

"Albus! Should I remind that time when you fought with your brother because he didn't approve of your friendship with Scorpius? You both sulked for an entire month! You ignored James, your _brother_, and did whatever _you_ wanted and _now _you're afraid of disappointing _David_? I can't believe you! Are you even listening to what you are saying?" Rose almost shouted.

"Rose, please, just calm down."

"No! You're going to listen to me _very_ carefully! You have been friends since your first day here, five years ago. You broke all the rules when doing so. You tried your best to protect that friendship from prejudice. That boy makes you happy; if only you could see your face when you were talking to us about him… It would be such a pity if you let it go now… You've made so much effort!" she said in a sad voice.

"I..." Albus said softly, "I guess you're right…"

"Of course I am! You have to trust me, Alby!" she said, before hugging him tightly.

* * *

><p>Later on, Albus went to the library, alone, to study for the upcoming History of Magic test. He started reading, but he couldn't concentrate. As soon as he finished reading a sentence, he had already forgotten it.<p>

_Ugh, it's useless…_

"Hey, look at what we've got here!" he heard someone joke. Albus recognized immediately the voice. He grinned knowingly.

"Hello to you too, Scorpius," he said sarcastically, without any real malice.

Scorpius let out a light laugh.

"What? I can't even tease you anymore?"

Scorpius' puppy face made Albus laugh.

"You know, I've really missed you…" the dark-haired boy said quietly.

Albus studied Scorpius' eyes. Something had changed for a brief second. As they had locked gazes, it was as if something flickered in either boy's eyes. Whatever it was, it disappeared in a breath. His cheeks were still a bit pink, but his eyes had darkened. Albus was a little taken aback by this abrupt change. The blond boy lowered his gaze. But before Albus could say anything, Scorpius said in a low voice:

"I've missed you too, Al. Very much."

"Oh, I see you started calling me _Al_ again…" He had seen the flicker of fear cross Scorpius' face. However, before Scorpius could even apologize, he added: "I like that." Scorpius seemed to relax. He smiled shyly at Albus.

"How about going back to study?" Scorpius asked, trying to make it sound as casual as possible. Albus rolled his eyes.

"Oh, please, shut up," he said, only half serious.

"Why? I can help you with your revision if you want." Scorpius offered.

"Alright."

And so the two teenagers spent the afternoon together, with Albus realizing that History of Magic wasn't that hard to learn, nor as boring as he thought. And if someone had observed them more attentively, he would have noticed Scorpius leaning slightly towards Albus, trying to capture the best he could the sweet scent that emanated from Albus' hair.

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: Ah, I love teasing these two boys so much! :3_

_By the way, guys, I don't know if you have noticed, but Rose is like my spokesperson… =P_

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. _

_Next chapter: There will be the Quidditch match I talked about in chapter 3! :D (and a rather sweet moment between Albus and Scorpius ;)…or not. LOL You be the judge! )_

_Gosh, I put too much smileys…_

_P.S: A big thank you to my friend Hannah, for being such a wonderful beta! The first four chapters weren't beta'ed by the way, so if you find any mistakes, please forgive me^^_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming of a friendship**

**Chapter VI**

Scorpius was sitting in the Slytherin common room, in company of Adam, Chad and Ethan. "Do you feel ready for the match?" Chad asked, with excitement in his voice.

"Good Lord Chad, was that question even needed?" Scorpius joked.

"I'm sure you'll show them up, those dumb Hufflepuffs!" Ethan exclaimed, punching him lightly in the ribs.

"You will attend the game, won't you?" Scorpius asked them, hopeful.

"What a question!" Chad quipped.

They all laughed noisily, the sound of their laughter echoing through the stony room.

"Hey, guys, what's so funny?" they heard someone ask. They all turned at the unknown voice. Albus was standing right behind them, David at his side. Albus had a friendly smile on his face, while David was frowning a bit.

"We were talking about today's match," Adam answered.

"Why the long face, Collins?" Ethan asked nastily.

"Quidditch bores me," David simply stated. Ethan gasped and Chad almost choked.

"How is this even possible? I thought muggles weren't allowed here!" he said. Ethan and Adam chuckled, and Scorpius was clearly forcing himself not to laugh. Albus twitched uncomfortably. He tried to change subject: "But you're going to come and watch us, right? You know how much it means to me…"

Scorpius' stomach flipped.

"I guess so," David replied.

Albus gave him a stunning smile. A strong wave of jealousy passed through Scorpius' body. _Is he so important to him? _Scorpius wondered. _Well, he sure is more than you now…_

"Okay, let's go now, Al'," David proposed hastily.

"Wait, Albus, we have to talk about our game strategy, remember?" Scorpius reminded Albus. David raised an eyebrow and gave Albus a questioning look. Albus nodded. David hesitated for a brief moment but then he turned away and left.

"Guys, since you're not part of the team, you should leave too, you know, you shouldn't know about our new moves before seeing them live…" Scorpius explained to his friends.

"Oh, sure, mate," Adam said with a grin. They grabbed their bags hastily and headed straight to the huge wooden door.

"So," Scorpius said when they were left alone, "Do you have any questions concerning the game?"

"Nope, I remember everything perfectly well," Albus answered with confidence.

"Good."

Albus yawned. Scorpius yawned too, by reflex. They both laughed, and Scorpius wiped away a tear that had appeared.

"Be careful, Al', you're our most important player," Scorpius said, quite seriously.

"Don't worry, I'm not _that_ tired," Albus reassured him.

"I hope so," Scorpius teased him.

Albus was staring at him intensely. Scorpius looked away. And then, Scorpius felt Albus' fingertips on his cheek. _Oh. Sweet. Merlin._ Albus' touch was like fire. Scorpius' heart rate increased dramatically.

"Merlin, relax, I won't poke your eye out!" Albus said laughing. "You just had an eyelash on your cheek." Scorpius laughed nervously. _How could I be so stupid? I have to stop hoping and thinking about these things, lest I get all tied up in some sordid fantasy._

"But now that I think about it, your skin is really soft," Albus said, before stroking the other boy's cheek again, this time intentionally. Scorpius' heart missed a beat. His entire body kindled. He knew he had blushed to the roots of his hair. He hated how much he was affected by that boy. He hated himself for loving him, wishing the impossible.

_Stop torturing me Albus, I beg you._

But when Albus' fingers left his face, he felt empty; he desperately wanted that touch back. His heart ached, because he knew he would never have that chance again.

Albus, who didn't know what was taking place in Scorpius' heart, said:

"Really, just touch mine to see the difference." Albus reached to take Scorpius' hand but the blond boy stood frozen. He looked almost _hurt_.

"Scorpius? Are you alright?"

"Er, yes, I was just thinking about something," he said quickly. Albus didn't seem convinced, but he did not insist.

"We should go, we don't have much time left ahead of us," Scorpius said without looking at him.

"Yeah, you're right."

* * *

><p>Albus changed into his Quidditch uniform. Everyone was panicking more or less in the Slytherin Quidditch locker room. Chatter was coming from every corner of the room. The last instructions were given by the Captain. Albus was stressing a little. He was feeling uneasy, on the verge of puking. It was the first match of this school year. Slytherin's victory depended mainly on him. He was the team's Seeker.<p>

They were playing against Hufflepuff. _Fortunately it isn't against Gryffindor_, he thought. Gryffindors were hard to beat, especially with James in their team. James was also the Captain of the Gryffindor team. The two brothers were both as gifted as their father and grandfather.

Time had come. The two teams went on the field. Scorpius shook hands with the Captain of the opposite team. Scorpius was a very skilful Chaser and knew very well how to lead a team, compared to Albus. That's why Albus had refused when they had proposed to him to be the team's Captain.

There was a hiss of a whistle. The Game began.

Slytherins were doing well. But Albus had to catch the golden snitch. Time was passing and he hadn't seen it yet. Then, he saw Rose waving at him happily from the Ravenclaw stands. He waved back hurriedly. He had just seen something that looked like a golden spark, fluttering above his cousin's curly head. "Thanks Rosie," he muttered to himself before rushing towards the snitch. Of course, the tiny ball flew away, but Albus didn't lose it of sight. The Hufflepuff Seeker sprang too. He wasn't fast enough though. Albus caught it first.

"Albus Potter catches the golden snitch AND SLYTHERIN WINS THE FIRST MATCH OF THE YEAR!" the commentator yelled. The majority of the crowd erupted into cheers.

Some Slytherins ran to congratulate the players. Albus threw his arms around Scorpius, shouting in triumph "We did it!" Scorpius lost his balance under the weight of Albus and fell backwards, carrying the other boy in his fall. Albus didn't bother apologizing; he was too busy laughing to tears. But Scorpius didn't laugh, he was too aware of Albus' body above his own. He was so warm, so… _perfect_. It was like if time had stopped. He forgot everyone around them, for Scorpius, they were only the two of them that mattered right now.

After a moment, Albus stopped laughing and looked at him right into his eyes. He didn't say a word, but he didn't move either. He seemed confused, as if something preoccupied him deeply. Then, to the astonishment of Scorpius, Albus blushed. Scorpius' breathing became unsteady. He felt himself harden.

_Oh, no... OH__, NO. _

To his luck, someone saved him from this extremely awkward situation. Ironically, that someone was the person he hated the most at the moment.

David cleared his throat more loudly than needed. Albus immediately stood up. David's expression was unreadable, but when he met his friend's gaze, his features softened. "Well done, Albus," he said and hugged him.

Albus hugged him back. Over the shoulder of Albus, David shot Scorpius a menacing look. Scorpius narrowed his eyes. The warning was clear on his face: David was ordering him to stay away from Albus.

_But, w__ait a sec… Why...?_

Scorpius' eyes widened and his muscles tensed.

_Oh Merlin's hairy balls! _

No, that was not possible. It couldn't be…

Scorpius looked at David, horrified. There was only hatred in David's blue eyes.

Albus loosened his grip and took a step back. David's expression changed instantly. But none of the three had the time to say anything, because James lifted Albus up in the air.

"Congrats, little bro'!" And then he added: "You were awesome, but keep in mind that you won't be always that lucky… Next time, you'll have to beat ME!"

Albus laughed and answered: "Don't be so confident, pal."

James ruffled his brother's hair. Then, someone squeezed Albus from behind. "Alby! You were fantastic!" said a cute feminine voice. Albus turned to see his sister.

"Lily! Thank you, honey!" he said while caressing her flaming red hair. Then Lily looked around, as if searching for someone. She finally found who she was looking for. She waved her hand. A girl approached them.

"Albus, here's Daisy, she wants to congratulate you too," Lily said and pushed her friend forward.

Daisy Williams was a fifth year Gryffindor. She had curly strawberry blonde hair and big hazel coloured eyes. Albus thought she was really pretty.

_Great, another antagonist, _Scorpius thought. _And what an opponent!_

"Hi Daisy," Albus greeted her in a friendly way.

"Hi," she replied, blushing a little. "You, er, you did a great job today."

"Thank you," Albus said with a warm smile.

There was a pause. Daisy seemed to be building up her courage in order to say something. Scorpius was trembling with anticipation.

"Um, would you like hanging out with me someday?" she asked. "With Lily too, obviously," she added quickly. Lily looked at her incredulously.

"Yeah, why not?" Albus said in a neutral voice.

Scorpius flinched. Jealousy took possession of his whole being. He clenched his fists. He wanted to scream in despair. Adrenaline rushed through his veins. Maybe strangling that girl would a better scenario than simply screaming or crying, he joked in his head bitterly.

Suddenly, a hand was laid on his. Delicate fingers gently tried to loosen his fist. Despite his surprise, his hand obeyed and relaxed a little. He turned to see who it was.

_Rose Weasley?_

She smiled kindly, somewhat motherly-like. Scorpius wondered why his family despised the Weasleys so much. There was nothing wrong with them at all… Rose was looking at him with that don't-worry-everything-is-going-to-be-fine look. Scorpius let a faint smile appear across his face. A sense of trust bonded the two teenagers. He mouthed _thanks_. Rose squeezed his hand in response. After, she went congratulate Albus. Scorpius heard Albus explain to her how they won thanks to her. Rose was laughing gaily and was reassuring him that he would have caught the golden snitch anyway.

Scorpius smiled internally. His empty and lonely heart warmed up a little. Perhaps the last glimmer of hope had not been extinguished yet.

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:__ I hope you liked this chapter__ I don't think I could describe the whole match properly, so I made it really short, I hope you weren't too disappointed._

_Oh, and __**Lily**__'s friend is named "Daisy"…coincidence? I think not ;P_

_Next chapter:__ thoughts, dreams and conversations… _


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming of a friendship**

**Chapter VII**

_Collins. David Collins. __Can someone dislike a person that much? I'm sure I can. I hate him. I hate him as much as fire would hate water. He has everything. Well, almost; but definitely more than I'll ever have. Albus is his best friend. Albus cares about him. Albus thinks of him when he's with me. Albus cares about what he thinks of him. Albus has clearly stated that he wants him to watch him play Quidditch. Albus protects him from my friends' taunts. Albus… _

"Mr Malfoy?"

_Does Collins really like Albus? Or am I __imagining things because I like him? Maybe I'm paranoid and I see enemies everywhere… _

"Mr Malfoy?"

_My mind must be playing tricks on me. __But then there's that Gryffindor girl. Albus wasn't completely indifferent. He accepted her invitation. Oh, that hurt so much… It was like if the whole weight of the planet had been placed on my shoulders. As if I had been stabbed right in the core… _

"Mr Malfoy!" the voice became insistent.

_Even if he had refused, she would still be lucky__. She asked him out… something I could never do._

"MR MALFOY!"

The entire class jumped. They all turned to look at Scorpius. He was slouching on his table, his left cheek resting on his arm, eyebrows furrowed. He was tearing up a parchment mechanically. He seemed oblivious to the whole class staring at him with round eyes.

_And lastly, Rose Wea__sley… Does she know? What if the answer is yes? Should I go talk to her?_

"MR MALFOY, ANSWER THE QUESTION IMMEDIATELY!"

Scorpius rose abruptly.

"WHAT?" he asked, too loudly, not bothering about being polite at all.

The class gasped. Scorpius Malfoy used to be the student every teacher wished to have.

"Ten points from Slytherin. And detention on Sunday morning," the teacher said coldly. Scorpius opened his mouth to protest, but the teacher cut him off.

"I am very disappointed in you, Mr Malfoy. I never expected such insolent behaviour."

Scorpius lowered his gaze. Some of the Ravenclaws snickered at him. David had a satisfied smirk on his face.

Scorpius had that weird sensation that someone was staring at him. He turned his head slowly. His eyes met emerald ones. It felt like Albus was staring right into his soul. That boy had the most piercing eyes he had ever seen. And the most beautiful too, Scorpius couldn't help adding. Albus didn't seem shocked, unlike the rest of his classmates, but he wasn't very amused either. He looked worried, in fact. _I will never understand him_, Scorpius thought. _But who knows, maybe that's what I like about him?_ He stuck out his tongue at the dark-haired boy, half grinning. Albus burst out laughing, forgetting that he was in a classroom, in the middle of a lesson.

"Mr Potter, your House has already lost points. Don't oblige me to take off more."

"I'm sorry, Sir," Albus apologized, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

After the teacher looked away, Albus looked back at Scorpius. The blond boy gave him a crooked smile that made his dimples even more noticeable than usual. He saw Albus scribble something on a small piece of parchment. Then, Albus discretely threw the note across the room. Scorpius caught it, but before reading it, he met David's gaze. He looked furious. Scorpius lifted an eyebrow and smirked.

_Sorry Collins, __you can't always be the lucky one._

Scorpius opened the folded parchment. His heart started beating faster. It's not a love letter, he reminded himself. He took a deep breath in order to calm down. He read the note.

_Don't forget the Quidditch practice this afternoon. Th__e boys decided to start earlier, so don't be late, we need you._

Scorpius shook his head in disbelief. _Is he kidding me?_ He rapidly scribbled back: "Albus, I'm the team's Captain, remember? I told the others to start earlier…" He read Albus' words once more though. Three words caught his attention.

_We need you._

He had written that because Scorpius was the one giving orders obviously, but these three simple words found their way into his heart. He had the sudden urge to hold Albus tightly between his arms and whisper in his ear that he will always be there for him, by his side, no matter what. But that was impossible. He clenched his fingers firmly on the edge of the table, until his knuckles hurt. The pain brought him back to his senses. He folded the little piece of parchment and sent it back to Albus. Some moments later, Albus was laughing softly.

* * *

><p>Albus found himself lying on top of Scorpius again, just like the day of the Quidditch match. This time they were alone though. Their only company was the grass and the bright sun. Albus put his hands on the ground, on each side of Scorpius, and straightened up a bit, so he could see Scorpius freely. The blond boy was flushed, and Albus could feel the heat emanating from his body. He seeped his eyes into Scorpius' own. His eyes were lovely. They weren't nor too small, not too big. They had a perfect almond shape and long eyelashes. And the colour… Oh, that colour…<p>

Contrary to popular belief, they weren't exactly like his father's. They were grey, but there was some light blue in them - the same blue of his mother's eyes, that made them shine like topazes in the sun. Scorpius didn't break the eye contact; instead, he raised his hand and stroked his cheek. The touch was feathery-like, but it was enough to light up something in Albus' heart. A shiver went down his spine. He suddenly desperately wanted the boy beneath him to touch him more. And he wanted to touch him too.

Albus lifted slightly Scorpius' T-shirt and slid his hands beneath it. He felt the muscles under his fingers contract. Scorpius' skin was soft like silk. His body was really firm, Albus observed with admiration. Albus traced Scorpius' abs with his fingertips. He saw Scorpius close his eyes. Albus devoured every inch of Scorpius' face with his eyes. It was like if he saw him clearly for the first time. Scorpius was stunningly _handsome_. He could stare at his face forever. Albus freed one of his hands and softly pushed Scorpius' hair back. _Even his hair is soft_, Albus thought. _Is everything on him so soft? I bet his lips are even better. _But then, a thought crossed Albus' mind: there was a particular part of Scorpius that he didn't want it to be soft. Instantly, he felt as if fire was burning every single cell of his body. _No, Al, later_, he ordered himself_. _

Scorpius opened his eyes and licked his lips. Albus felt his mouth become dry instantly. With his index finger, he slowly followed the curve of Scorpius' bottom lip. Scorpius' eyes widened. He held his breath. Then, Albus lowered his hand and traced the sharp curve of his jaw line.

Albus tilted his head. He had just seen a tiny drop of sweat on the edge of Scorpius' jaw, ready to roll down his neck. He hadn't noticed, but they were both sweaty. Albus had never thought that sweat could be sexy. But right now, it definitely was. The little drop fell. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he leaned and licked it off. Scorpius shivered and let out a faint moan. That sound awoke Albus' instincts. He licked Scorpius' ear lobe, before biting it gently.

His senses were drunk of Scorpius' scent. That boy managed to smell deliciously even after working out, Albus noticed with amazement.

Scorpius' breathing was loud and heavy. He grabbed Albus' waist and pulled him closer. Albus obeyed and pressed himself against Scorpius. He felt Scorpius' erection against his thigh. Albus moaned. Scorpius' hands went to his hips. Albus tried to make as much physical contact as possible. He wanted every inch of his body to be able to feel Scorpius. But it was not enough. He _needed_ more.

Albus decided it was the moment to taste those pretty lips. He leaned to kiss Scorpius. Their lips didn't have the time to meet though, the blond boy's image suddenly faded away and vanished in smoke.

* * *

><p>Albus woke up with a jolt. He could feel his heart racing. He couldn't breathe properly and his pyjamas were soaked with sweat<em>.<em> His head was spinning. The more he was becoming aware of what he had just dreamed, the more he was terrified. _I can't really be awake… It must be a nightmare_, Albus tried to convince himself. But this was real. He had just fantasized about his best friend. And, if Albus wanted to be honest with himself, he had enjoyed it. Or at least that was what his crotch's condition implied. Albus had never felt so ashamed in his entire life. The only wet dreams he had ever had until now were very short and fuzzy, and the other person was never recognizable. Actually, now that he thought about it, you couldn't really tell if those persons in his dreams were females or males… They were only some dark blurred vision. That had never preoccupied him before. But now… His first real wet dream had been about a _boy_. About his _childhood _friend.

_What does that mean?__ No, it must be just a hormonal thing… I can't… I… No, Scorpius is my best friend and he's a boy. A BOY. I… _

Albus' mind was so muddled that he thought he would go mad. A long sigh escaped his mouth. He had to calm down. It wasn't the end of the World after all, was it?

"Albus?"

Albus screamed in horror. His heart had almost stopped.

Scorpius had passed his head between the curtains of Albus' bed. He seemed worried.

_No! Please, anyone but him… _

"Shhh, it's only me. Are you alright?" Scorpius asked softly.

Albus was speechless. He was staring at Scorpius with round eyes, panic readable on his features.

Scorpius anxiety grew bigger.

"Al, please, say something…" Scorpius whispered.

Albus was as stiff as a statue. He was extremely pale. Scorpius had noticed it, so he gently put his hand on Albus' forehead. As soon as his hand touched Albus' skin, Scorpius gasped.

"Albus, you're burning!" Scorpius exclaimed.

"Don't touch me!" Albus shouted and violently pushed away Scorpius' arm.

Scorpius looked astonished and somewhat hurt. Albus felt really guilty, but he couldn't bear Scorpius' touch. Not after _that_. He was too scared; afraid of what he could possibly feel if he let the other boy come closer.

There was a long, heavy silence. Neither of them dared to speak. Albus was looking at his dark green blanket with too much interest.

Scorpius eventually broke the silence.

"So, did you have a nightmare? You sounded quite agitated," Scorpius said, trying to make the other boy react. The tone of his voice was unsure, there wasn't the usual confidence.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Albus finally found his ability to speak.

"Was I… Was I talking in my sleep?" he asked, his voice shaking. His heart was pounding furiously against his chest. The answer to his question was a matter of life or death.

"No, you weren't."

Albus sighed with relief. He didn't want to imagine what would have happened if he had.

"Why are you awake then?" Albus asked, still not looking at Scorpius.

"I couldn't sleep either. Looks like I was thinking too much…" Scorpius answered and let out a bitter chuckle.

Albus didn't answer. He didn't dare asking him what his concern was.

"Er, what was your nightmare about?" Scorpius asked.

Albus was taken aback. He didn't expect Scorpius to ask.

"N-nothing. It was just some stupid dream. Forget about it." Some pink had coloured Albus' pale face.

"Are you sure you're not sick then? You seem to have a fever…" Scorpius asked hesitantly.

"S-Scorpius, please, don't make it that much of a big deal. It's just so hot in there."

_Ugh, I can't even say his name out loud__ anymore._

Albus didn't need to look at the boy before him to know that he hadn't believed a single word. He could perfectly picture him lifting an eyebrow. He knew his excuse was poor. _But what could I have said?_

"Well, I'll go try to get some sleep," Scorpius said, "It must be around 3 am…"

"Okay."

"Goodnight Al," Scorpius greeted him and went back to his own bed.

"Goodnight," Albus muttered, too low for the other boy to hear.

Albus lay back on his bed, his heart rate still too quick. He tried to clear his mind and relax in order to fall asleep, but he never succeeded.

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:__ Thanks for you patience guys, this chapter took me some time to write, I had a sort of author's block… _

_I hope you like it_

_And of course, I thank Hannah, my beta, who helps me a lot and makes me laugh every time we talk :D _

_Next chapter:__ Quarrels… _


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter VIII**

Now that Albus was fully awake, he couldn't believe how he managed to even talk to Scorpius last night. He was convinced that he would never be able to look at him the same way ever again. Every time he thought of Scorpius - which was all the time by the way - he kept having flashbacks of his dream. He had to find a way to forget. There was no way he would let himself keep thinking about his friend that way. It was just _wrong_.

Albus had gone to the Great Hall very early. He hadn't slept at all, so there was no reason for staying in the dormitory - or at least that's what Albus liked to believe. The real reason was different though: he was too afraid to face Scorpius all alone. If he looked at him, he would only feel guilt and shame. But was that all? What if he felt something else too? Albus brushed away that thought immediately. _No way! It was just a stupid dream,_ he reminded himself.

"Good morning, Albus."

It took Albus only a second to recognize that voice, but that second had been the most terrifying moment of his life.

"Hello, David," he greeted his friend back nervously.

David was in a good mood today. He wouldn't stop talking, but Albus wasn't listening anyway. Albus kept glancing anxiously at the entrance every two minutes. Thankfully, David hadn't noticed anything. When Albus finally saw Scorpius, he quickly looked away and lowered his head. All his blood had rushed to his face and his heart was beating like crazy. He turned his attention to the plate in front of him.

"... Don't you think so, Al?" he heard David ask.

"Huh? Yes…" Albus answered quickly.

"So you agree that Scorpius is a total git?" David asked him again.

"Wait, what?" Albus asked, confused.

"Look, I haven't said anything, but I still got eyes… What's going on today? You haven't heard a word of what I've been saying this entire time." David's voice was filled with reproach.

"I'm tired. That's all."

"What's my name Albus?" David asked.

"What?"

"Answer the question," he ordered him.

David was completely serious. Albus stared at him incredulously.

"David, obviously."

"Exactly. It's not _Moron_. So stop lying to me," David said in a harsh tone.

Albus opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out.

"Let me be honest with you. Since you've started getting friendly with Malfoy, you've been acting weird. I'm really starting to worry for you," David explained.

Albus felt the anger rising. "What has he got to do with this?" Albus exclaimed.

"I'm simply stating the obvious!"

"What's your problem David? What has he done to you? Why do you hate him so much?"

Albus was shouting. They both got up from their seats. More and more people were watching them, but he didn't care at all.

"Tell me, David!" Albus yelled when he saw that the other boy wasn't answering.

"I'm just seeing what your head can't seem to fucking grasp! He hasn't got any friends at all! Can't you see? He's not good enough for you!" David shouted back.

"He has more friends than you anyway!"

The whole room went silent. David looked as if he had been slapped. Albus immediately regretted his words. He didn't mean to hurt his friend so much.

"David, I…" he tried to say.

Albus had slightly stretched his arm towards David, as if to retain him. But David turned away abruptly and left the room hurriedly, without looking at anyone, his head low. Albus' heart sank. He had the time to see a tiny teardrop shine in David's blue eyes.

* * *

><p>When Scorpius got up that morning, Albus had already left. It was strange, since they used to wake up approximately at the same time.<p>

Then, it had gotten even stranger. When he had entered the Great Hall, he had happily smiled and waved at him, but Albus looked away, without even bothering to smile back. Scorpius' smile had faded instantly. He had gone to sit with his other friends, and hadn't looked back at him. Not until he heard him shout… Albus had looked as if he was ready to hex David. He didn't need to hear much to understand that he was the subject of their argument. At first, he had wanted to interfere, but then he had thought that it may have angered Albus even more. And, to be honest, he had been curious to see if Albus would have defended him. Which he had… and very strongly too.

So when he had seen him curl up and put his head between his hands after David had left, he couldn't help but go and comfort him. Albus' reaction wasn't what he had expected at all though.

* * *

><p>Albus sat sadly on the bench. He was feeling miserable. <em>That's definitely my worst day ever…<em> _How have I managed to screw up everything in such little time?_

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up in surprise.

_Oh, not him again…_

"Are you alright, Albus?" Scorpius asked kindly.

"Please, leave me alone," Albus whimpered.

"You know, you can talk to me."

"No, please, just leave."

"But…"

Albus cut him off. "Why do you always have to come when I don't want to see you, eh?"

Scorpius made a strangled noise. But he didn't leave.

"Alb-"

"Are you deaf or what?" Albus unleashed his anger, "Can't you just go?"

Scorpius remained silent for a long moment. He didn't stir at all. Eventually, he said in a cold, icy voice: "As you wish, _Albus_."

And then he left, without adding a single word. But he hadn't left the same way as David. Even though he had been hurt too, he left like a proud man, with his usual aristocratic gait. Albus admired that, because he knew he would never be able to do so. He wondered how hard it must have been for him to keep that façade.

The way Scorpius spat his name hurt him more than anything else in the world. And he was sure that if he had found the strength to look at him, Scorpius' expression would have hurt him even more. But he was a coward. A mindless coward. He didn't deserve any of the names his father had given him. In less than half an hour, he had deeply hurt two of the persons he cared the most about… and did nothing about it. He just sat there, whining about his fate, like a little child, waiting for his mother to come get him out of the mess… But a mother is always there for her child, right?

"Albus? Can I sit with you for a moment?" he heard his cousin ask softly.

"Aw, Rosie!" Albus whispered before hugging her with all the energy he had left.

"Come on," she said and took his hand.

* * *

><p>Scorpius felt torn apart. His best friend, and more precisely the boy he loved with all his heart, had just rejected him with the worst way possible.<p>

_Why do you always have to come when I don't want to see you, eh?_

… _I don't want to see you…_

Scorpius couldn't understand him. Hadn't he just had a quarrel with David about him? Hadn't he taken his side? Why was he acting so odd all of sudden? And most all: why had he befriended him if he didn't want to _see_ him? He had made so much effort to act casual around Albus, to let his feelings aside in order to be a good friend for him. Was that all he would get in return? Didn't he deserve to be treated a bit better?

Scorpius sat against the cold stony wall of the corridor. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He just wanted to disappear, forget everything, and get Albus out of his head. He had been wrong. He shouldn't have accepted Albus' proposition. He should have stayed away from him. Now that he knew what it felt like to have him back, he could never stand to lose him again. In less than a week, he had destroyed everything he had managed to build up in more than a year.

_Fine. If Mr__. Potter doesn't wish__to see me, then he shan't see me anymore._

And then he laughed bitterly.

_Ha, imagine if Father heard that a Potter__ dismissed a Malfoy… And in front of the whole school… _

Scorpius closed his eyes and let his head rest against the stones of the wall. He didn't feel anger. Not at all. There was only the weight of despair and sadness that hung over him.

* * *

><p>Rose leaded Albus to the place they used to sit and talk, beside the lake. When they sat down on the grass, she placed her hands on Albus' shoulders and said: "Okay, now take a deep breath and tell me everything."<p>

"I don't know where to start," he said faintly.

"Let's start with your quarrel with David," she proposed.

Albus obeyed and told her everything. His cousin listened very carefully, without interrupting him. When he finished, Rose had a small crooked smile on her face that Albus couldn't understand.

"So, why did you start shouting at Scorpius after that?" Rose asked.

"I didn't want to talk to him," Albus answered simply.

"How come? If you hadn't defended him, I would have understood that, but in your case it just doesn't make any sense…"

"I… I just couldn't look at him, okay?" Albus said with an exasperated tone.

"Why?" Rose insisted.

"I can't tell you," he answered, looking away.

"Albus Severus." she said in a severe voice, "Look at me."

Albus unwillingly turned to face her. As soon as he met her gaze, he felt his face heat up. Rose gave him a kind smile. "You really care about him, don't you?"

"Yes," Albus mumbled.

"You wouldn't want to lose him the second time, would you?"

"Of course not."

"Then, don't you think that you're giving up too easily?"

"I'm not giving up!" Albus exclaimed indignantly.

"Yes you are. Your bond is tricky, and you know it. You should be more careful, Al. You act before you think."

"I know… But it happens, alright? I mean, it's the same for you and Emma, isn't it?" Albus asked in expectance.

Rose let out a light laugh.

"No, it's not the same. Your friendship is… different."

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

Rose put her arm around Albus' shoulders. "You see, my dear cousin, there are many kinds of friendship. Some are special, just like yours. Don't let it go. You'll regret it later."

"But… I, I don't now what to do… I always end up having to apologize to people I've hurt unwittingly. I'm fed up of it all. I've always tried to please everyone, but I'm only good at ruining everything and disappointing the people I love."

Rose remained silent for a while. Then she squeezed his arm and said: "I'm sorry Albus, I didn't know you felt that way. But you must know that no one's disappointed in you. We all make mistakes. The important thing is to realize that you've made them, and try to correct them." She paused for a moment. "Actually, I know someone that will probably be very disappointed if you stay here forever," she teased him, "Go find him."

"And what about David?" Albus asked hesitantly.

"David is less hurt than Scorpius. He doesn't need you as much right now. Trust me."

Albus considered this for a moment and then he got up, but not before gently pinching Rose's freckled cheek. As he ran to the castle, he heard his cousin yell "See you later! Oh, and you're very welcome!" He laughed and waved his hand without turning.

* * *

><p>Albus ran as fast as he could towards the dungeons. But at the turn of the main hallway, he stopped abruptly. A blonde figure was huddled in a corner. He heard a mild sniffing. Albus felt his heart leap.<p>

Scorpius was _crying_.

* * *

><p><em><span>A<span>__/N:__ I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it wasn't very joyful ^_^_

_Unfortunately, I don't know when __the next chapters will be up. I'll have my finals for a bit more than a week, so it might take some time… Sorry _

_But after that I'll have all the free time I want!__;)_

_By the way, thanks for the reviews/faves/story alerts_

_There's only one thing: do you get my messages? Because I never get an answer (I know, most the times there's nothing else to say), so I was wondering if you get the__m, especially since doesn't work well (at least for me) sometimes… _

_~kisses~_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter IX**

Scorpius heard hasty steps coming towards him. He quickly wiped away his tears with his left hand. But then the hallway suddenly went silent. Scorpius listened carefully. The person had stopped. He felt the atmosphere getting heavier. He knew perfectly well who was standing at the end of the hallway. He could _sense_ him.

Scorpius remained motionless as Albus approached him. When the dark-haired boy sat next to him, he felt his whole body tense. Albus was so close to him that their shoulders were almost touching. Scorpius kept staring at his knees. Albus didn't speak. He tried to steady his breathing. They remained in that position for such a long time that it seemed like ages to Scorpius. He couldn't stand this a second more.

"Piss off," Scorpius said in a hoarse voice.

"No. I won't leave," Albus replied firmly.

"Listen, now _I_'m the one who doesn't want to see _you_. So leave me alone," he said aggressively.

"You don't want to see me or you don't want me to see you like this?"

There was a short moment of silence.

"Both," Scorpius finally said, still not looking at the boy beside him.

"Malfoys have the right to cry too, you know. There's nothing wrong with it."

Scorpius snorted. He finally turned his head and looked at Albus.

"What do you want from me, Albus?"

"Just you," he said without any hesitation.

Albus' bright eyes were full of promises. Scorpius couldn't remember anyone looking at him so intensively. He felt his pulse quicken. And then, without any warning, Albus pulled him closer and held him tightly in his arms.

"Oh, Scorp', I'm terribly sorry! Please forgive me." Albus whispered.

_Scorp__. _

No one ever called him that, except for Albus, but it was way back when they were kids… It was only now that he realized how much he had missed it.

Scorpius' heart rate increased so much that he thought his heart would stop at any moment. He was certain the other boy could feel it too. But he didn't care. He wouldn't let this opportunity escape him. He wrapped his arms around Albus. The warmth of the body pressed against his own made him feel better. Albus had slid his hand in his hair. How many times had he dreamed about this moment? Albus' hand fitted his nape perfectly. Even if his love was unrequited, he wanted this moment to last forever. Albus made him feel complete and serene.

Scorpius rested his head on the crook of Albus' shoulder and sighed. Albus felt his breath on his neck and shivered. A small smirk appeared on Scorpius' face. He exhaled very slowly again, this time on purpose. Albus shivered once again and his heart started beating faster. Scorpius could feel it. The smirk on his face widened. Albus tried to loosen up the hug but Scorpius held him tighter.

_One last thing Albus… _

He moved his head slightly, so that the tip of his nose brushes gently against Albus' skin. Albus inhaled sharply through his nose. He recoiled from him abruptly. It was like as if electricity had passed through them. Albus quickly pulled himself away from Scorpius and was now staring at the floor, cheeks flushed. Minutes ticked by, without any of them saying something. Scorpius was quite thrilled. Albus had reacted exactly as he had wished. If that simple touch had affected him so much, it could only mean one thing: he was attracted to him. A _tiny _bit, but still, it was more than Scorpius would have ever expected. And this gave him hope, hope he never had before.

"So, er, do you forgive me?" Albus asked at last, still looking at the floor.

"Yes. How could I not?" Scorpius joked.

Albus looked as if something was really bothering him. Then, some moments later, he turned to look at Scorpius. The blond boy always wondered if Albus was aware of how intense his gaze could be. It made Scorpius feel so weak…

Albus' eyes were filled with questions he couldn't answer. He looked like a lost puppy, Scorpius thought. He desperately wanted to kiss him. It all seemed so easy right now. He only had to lean in a little and…

But he refrained. He couldn't do that Albus. And it would do him no good either.

_Maybe, maybe someday… __Or maybe never… Who knows?_

Albus' inner fight with himself seemed to grow worse. He opened his mouth slightly. His breathing was heavy. He lifted his right hand, and very hesitantly, he approached it to Scorpius' face. His hand was shaking. Scorpius' heart missed a beat and then started beating wildly.

_What is he doing?_

But Albus stopped his hand midway. He bit his lip in the most adorable way Scorpius had ever seen. He began to blush uncontrollably. As he realized what he was about to do, shock crossed Albus' face. He lowered his hand in a swift move and looked away, mumbling something unintelligibly. Scorpius remained rooted to the spot. He didn't know how to react. Had Albus just tried to _touch_ him? What was he supposed to do? And most importantly: why did he even try to do that?

Scorpius didn't want to hope too much. He knew disappointment was waiting for him just around the corner. It would hurt a lot more if he raised his expectations too high. But he couldn't pretend that Albus' behaviour wasn't odd. He seemed affected by him more than he should be. _No. Not "more than he should be", but "more than what would be expected". _

Albus was fidgeting. Scorpius felt the need to hug him again and comfort him. He wanted to pet his hair and whisper these three words that were buried deep inside his heart, which he'd probably never have the courage to say to him.

Albus finally spoke: "I'm really sorry."

"Forget about it, you're forgiven," Scorpius said.

"No, I'm not talking about that. I've been acting quite, er, weird lately. I, I'm sorry if I'm making you feel uncomfortable," Albus apologized, avoiding Scorpius' gaze.

Scorpius chuckled softly. "No, not at all. Don't worry."

A faint smile appeared on Albus' face. Then he got up.

"I have to go now," he said, "We'll talk later."

"Okay," Scorpius said and got up too.

They just stood there, feeling a little awkward. Eventually, Albus turned on his heel and headed towards the dormitory. Scorpius, on the other hand, headed off to the library.

* * *

><p>Albus felt extremely relieved after talking to Scorpius, but he had to apologize to someone else too.<p>

Albus entered in his dormitory. There were only some first years chatting happily in a corner. He went to David's bed but it was empty. Where could he be? Albus suddenly felt really tired, like as if he didn't have any energy in him left. He sat on David's bed. He'd wait here.

Albus started replaying his conversation with Scorpius in his head. _What's wrong with me?_ He wondered. _What was I thinking?_ He couldn't understand what had just happened.

He was lost in Scorpius' eyes when he saw something strange in them. Those grey eyes were filled with… something like… _love_. And then, it turned into pain. Scorpius really seemed to be suffering from something.

Albus knew that look. It was a look of someone who really wants something but he knows he'll never get it, so he just surrenders to his fate.

He was mesmerized by Scorpius' eyes. Usually, you couldn't really see much in them, but when he let his guard fall, his eyes were like a door to a whole new world. They were like an ocean of emotions Albus had never seen in anyone else's eyes. When he locked his gaze with his, it felt physically impossible to look away. Albus was sure that there were many things he didn't know about Scorpius, that no one knew. He wanted to break those walls he had built around him-even if he was supposed to be his best friend; Albus sometimes had the impression of being a stranger to him. That's what he was thinking about while looking at Scorpius in the hallway. What was bothering that boy so much? He wished he could help him.

And then, as if from nowhere, an image popped into his mind. It was him, stroking Scorpius' lower lip gently. But this time, instead of chasing the dream away, Albus let himself be carried away by his desire. He needed to know what it felt like to touch him. So he tried to reach Scorpius' face, even if he was aware that he was making a huge mistake. But the courage left him half way through. He wasn't strong enough to make such a definitive move. If he did it, it would mean only one thing and Albus wasn't ready for that. He couldn't believe it and he didn't want to. It was simply impossible. No, he couldn't accept it. He couldn't let his entire life be reversed so quickly and abruptly. Now he understood what it meant to question everything you believed in.

It was tough. Incredibly tough.

Albus continued thinking about today's little incident. When he hugged Scorpius, he had felt this unfamiliar feeling. It was like a thrill of excitement, but with a deeper meaning than just casual excitement. It was new for him, but he had liked it. He had also felt Scorpius' quick heart rate. But that didn't imply anything. He had just been crying; it was absolutely normal and insignificant.

Then, there had been that moment when he felt Scorpius' breath on his neck. He had stopped breathing and his whole body had shivered. It was just air, why did it affect him so much? Scorpius had breathed against his neck again.

_Obviously; he wouldn't stop breathing because I'm __weird._

But then it had only gotten worse. When Scorpius' skin had touched his own, the sensation was so intense he couldn't bear it. He had never felt something so strong before.

Albus' thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Albus?" he heard David ask.

Albus looked up at him. David's surprised expression disappeared, letting a defensive mask take over.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked coldly.

"I was looking for you," Albus answered.

"What do you want then?"

"I, I wanted to apologize for this morning…"

"I'll have to think about it. You can go now."

"David, please, _listen_ to me," Albus begged. "And stop acting so distant, I can't stand it…"

David's features softened for a brief moment, but then his eyes darkened even more.

"No, _you_ listen to me. For more than a week now, you've been carelessly hurting my feelings, and then you think that with a simple 'sorry', everything is just going to be fine. It's not that easy, Albus. Words can't always heal wounds."

"I'm really sorry, David; I didn't mean to hurt you. But you've got to understand; I've been really confused these days…" Albus said in a low voice.

"See? You're doing it again! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You don't even seem to be aware of it! You can't even apologize properly, you always have to add something to justify yourself. You are so selfish!" David exclaimed.

"No! I swear! I really need to talk to someone. I've been holding in so many things… That's why I've been overreacting lately…"

"You think you're the only one who has problems? Hasn't it ever crossed your mind that I feel the need to talk to a friend too? And does that give you the right to treat people like shit?"

"I'm not… No, I…" Albus mumbled.

"What sort of friend are you, eh? You never listen to me, you're only pretending to, just so I don't notice it. And then you tell me that I can trust you and that I can lean on you. Well you know what? That's bullshit! You don't give a fuck about me!" David shouted.

"That's not true! If I didn't care about you, I wouldn't be here right now listening to you getting all paranoid!" Albus cried.

"Maybe you really did once-but not anymore. If you still do, you wouldn't throw me away like trash every time _someone _else appears, and you wouldn't continue insulting me while begging for my forgiveness!" David hissed back.

"Well, maybe you deserve it a little! You can be so fucking stubborn! _Scorpius_ doesn't react like that!"

_SLAP! _

Damn, that hurt. But David's slap made Albus realize what he had just said. The pain would pass, but not remorse. David was right, he _was_ a jerk. And now there was no chance at all to be forgiven. He didn't even dare to look back at David. He just turned and left, without adding a single word.

When Albus reached the door, he could hear David yell: "That's right! Shut up and leave, just as you do so well each fucking time!"

* * *

><p>Scorpius was reading a potions book when he heard a female voice ask: "Hey. Do you mind if I sit with you?"<p>

He looked up and saw Rose Weasley standing right behind the chair next to him.

"Not at all," he said with a smile, even if he felt a little nervous at the sight of her.

Rose sat beside him.

"So, what are you reading?" she asked, with real interest in her voice.

* * *

><p><em><span>A__N:__ Hey guys! My finals are finally over :D I'll have more free time to write._

_I hope you liked this chapter…_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter X**

Scorpius thought that Rose Weasley was a nice girl at first. She was smart and also fun to talk to-though she seemed a little _too _curious at times. He didn't like when people he wasn't familiar with started becoming too nosy. It lacked courtesy.

_She's still a Weasley, after all…_

At first, they had talked about the classes they had in common, teachers and everything related to school, but then, without any particular reason, she had started describing how much she missed the old days, when they were all kids. It was a bit awkward talking about this with her, since they never got close enough to be called friends, even if they could have had many opportunities when Albus invited both of them at his house years ago.

"Is everything okay with Albus now?" she finally asked.

_Oh,__ I see where you want to take this…_

"We are friends again, if that's what you're asking," Scorpius said in a neutral voice.

"Yeah, I know… What I meant was do you have any problems or something?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, but-_you_ know what happened with Albus and David this morning…" she said hesitantly.

"I'm not David, in case you haven't noticed," Scorpius, said annoyed.

She looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "I'm not blind," she said dryly.

Scorpius clenched his fists impatiently at her. How did she dare talk to him like this?

"If you want to know something, just ask it directly," he said.

Rose didn't seem satisfied with the way things had turned out. "Fine," she said, "I just wanted to know what you're planning to do with Albus."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Scorpius said, a frown etching his fine features.

Rose lifted an eyebrow at him. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. Don't force me to say it out loud."

Scorpius was a little taken aback. Since when was she so determined to learn _everything_?

"What are you going to do?" he asked, "Are going to shout it in the Great Hall or blackmail me in some bizarre muggle way?"

"If you're going to insult my family, I'd better leave now," Rose said angrily. "And I'm simply trying to help you. Don't judge by what a _Slytherin _would do," she added.

Scorpius snickered lightly. "Since you don't seem to like me that much, why are you doing this?"

"It's not like as if I didn't like you at all, but sometimes you think you're better than what you are really worth." And before Scorpius could have the time to react, she added: "Besides, I'm doing this for Albus."

At the mentioning of Albus' name, Scorpius' anger faded away miraculously.

"What does that mean, _for Albus_?" he asked impatiently, his heart tight.

"Albus wouldn't want you to abandon him again."

"Why would I do that?" Scorpius asked, confused.

"Because I know how hard it is to be in love with your best friend," she answered simply.

Scorpius gaped at her. How could she be so straightforward? Then he remembered that that's what he had asked her. And he had already guessed that she knew anyway.

He couldn't help himself: "How do you know? And since when?"

"Oh, it's pretty obvious," she answered, smiling.

Scorpius must have look horrified because Rose quickly reassured him that it wasn't _that_ obvious. You had to paid attention real closely to suspect something.

"I noticed the way you were looking at him since he started talking to you again. And then it all made sense… Why you became more distant through the years and everything…"

Scorpius remained silent.

"Don't worry, I'm sure no one else knows," she reassured him.

"Well, there could be an exception…"

Rose seemed a little unsure about what to answer but she finally said in a firm voice: "No, I don't think there's an exception."

Scorpius was somewhat suspicious. She seemed too sure about what she was saying, as if she was trying to hide something from him.

"Anyway, you should give Albus some time," Rose said. "But don't lose hope."

"Are you trying to tell me that there could be the slightest chance for me?" Scorpius asked, still a bit suspicious.

A faint smile appeared on Rose's face but she didn't answer.

"So, he… he could be… _gay_?"

Scorpius was trying his best to hide his excitement. This was so unexpected and thrilling at the same time. If what she was implying was true, everything would change. His life would gain a new meaning. He could be… _happy_.

"Look, I can't be sure. He doesn't really talk about things like that. Besides, I can't tell you _everything_," she said and laughed.

"Wait, what? You think you can tease me like this and then just…"

Rose laughed once more. "I think I've told you enough already. It's your turn now. But don't forget what I told you: don't rush. It will only make him less approachable."

Scorpius nodded with understanding. Then, they both remained silent for a long moment.

"Don't you have class?" Rose eventually asked.

"Huh? Yes… I guess I'd better go if I don't want to be late," he said and got up. But then he lifted an eyebrow. "Don't _you_ have class?" he asked her.

"No. Free period. I wouldn't still be here if I had," she said in an amused tone.

Scorpius just left, without commenting on her joke.

* * *

><p>When Albus woke up next morning, Scorpius had already left.<p>

The first thing Albus noticed when he entered the Great Hall was David eating alone. They made eye contact. David gave him an angry look. Albus quickly looked away and went to sit with Scorpius, Ethan, Chad and Adam, his head low.

They all welcomed him in a friendly way and quickly made him part on the conversation. Scorpius' friends seemed to be nice guys. Adam reminded him of old David: kind and cheerful. Chad was much like Scorpius, and Ethan was… Actually, you wouldn't really call him a "nice guy". He's more like the "evil" one of the group. He seemed to be a prankster, but not like James. No, Ethan looked _mean_. His gaze was really fierce. Ethan's eyes looked somewhat feline. They were quite small and their outer corner was curled upwards, in a cat-like shape. They had a very uncommon colour: it was a very light yellowy green. His eyes were really unique, Albus thought. They made him look strangely… attractive. But before Albus could realize what he had just thought, Ethan spoke.

"Why are you staring at me, Potter?"

"Huh? N-nothing," Albus mumbled and his cheeks went red.

"If something's bothering you, just say it to my face. I prefer straightforward people," Ethan said coldly.

Scorpius cleared his throat. Ethan turned to look at him.

"Sore throat, Malfoy? Can I help you?" he quipped.

Scorpius smirked. "Thank you for your concern, Wilson, but I'm perfectly fine, but there's something you could do actually: stop being rude to Albus."

"Fine. I'll try to behave, but it's only because I know you have a soft spot for the newcomer," Ethan said with an evil grin.

Scorpius choked on his pumpkin juice.

"Aw, poor you, now you may really have a sore throat," Ethan teased him.

Scorpius gave him a murderous look.

"Er, guys, I'm still here…" Albus reminded them, feeling rather uncomfortable.

Ethan turned to face him and a wide smile appeared on his face.

"Of course you are! And since you want to be the centre of attention, let me ask you something."

Albus had a bad feeling about this. Ethan was looking at him too mischievously.

"See that guy over there?" he asked and looked towards the end of the Slytherin table.

Albus' stomach flipped. "What does he look like?" he asked, even if he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"Oh, come on, Potter. The tall one with very short light brown hair…" Ethan said and pointed his finger towards the boy in question.

"D-David?"

"Yes, Potter, _David_," Ethan said. "So, what's the matter with him? Why does he look even more miserable than usual?"

"If it interests you that much, why don't you go ask _him_?" Albus proposed.

But when he saw Ethan get up, he immediately regretted his words.

"What are you doing?" he asked, alarmed.

"I have to admit that your idea was pretty clever, so I'm doing exactly what you said," Ethan replied and started walking towards David.

* * *

><p>David was chewing his food mechanically. Then, he heard someone sit to the empty seat next to him.<p>

"Hey, good morning, Collins!"

David wished he hadn't woken up today.

"Good morning to you too, Wilson," he greeted him back in a very unfriendly tone.

"Just for the effort I made to talk to someone like you, you could have the amiability to be nicer."

"I have no reason to. I should be the one to ask you this actually."

Ethan sneered. "Just so you know, that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm being _nice_ to your _dear_ friend, Potter."

David immediately turned his gaze to Albus. The dark-haired boy was intently staring at them, clearly anxious.

"I asked him why you looked like shit today-not that you ever look good-and he told me to come and ask you in person. So here I am!" Ethan informed him.

"Wow, that's really an improvement!" David said sarcastically.

"I suppose I won't get a serious answer, so I'll leave now. It's not healthy either to stay too long near you, Collins; you're a disgrace to our kind," Ethan said in a voice filled with disgust.

He got up, but before leaving, he leaned and whispered in his ear: "Oh, and a little piece of advice, Collins: stop drooling so much when you look at Potter, someone may slip on your saliva."

After Ethan left him, David remained frozen for several minutes. He couldn't believe his ears.

_That Wilson, w__hat a motherfucker…_

* * *

><p><em><span>Next chapter:<span>__ Daisy… :P_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter XI**

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:__ This is probably the most important chapter now. I really hope you like it!_

_The lyrics are from the song "T__he Scientist" by Coldplay. (I didn't write down the whole song though. And of course, no copyright intended.)_

_You should listen to it:)_

_PS: I'm really sorry for the delay; there was a little inconvenience…:(_

* * *

><p>At noon, Albus found Rose waiting for him outside the Slytherin common room. She sat, her back against the stony wall, browsing a book.<p>

"Hey, Rosie!" Albus greeted her happily.

Rose looked up and gave him a warm smile. She got up and nodded her head to Scorpius. He nodded back.

"Can we talk for a moment?" she asked Albus.

"Sure," he answered and gave Scorpius an apologizing look.

Scorpius gave him a pat on his shoulder and left them alone.

"So, what's the matter?" Albus asked her as soon as Scorpius was out of sight.

"Nothing important, I was just wondering what you were planning to do with Daisy…"

"Huh? Daisy?"

"Yes, Al, _her_. Are you going to give her an answer or something? It's not very polite to let a girl wait, you know."

"Er, I guess you're right… actually, I don't really know."

Rose gave him a questioning look.

"She seems nice and all, but…" Albus left the sentence hanging, failing to explain.

"Well, whatever you decide; let her know soon. You never know, maybe someone else would love to date her. Like one of your friends for example…" Rose said, eyeing him carefully.

"What? Are you telling me that Scorpius might like her?" Albus asked, surprised.

"Who said I was talking about him?" Rose asked with a smirk.

Albus felt his cheeks get hot. "Anyway, if anyone wants her, they can have her."

"Even if it's Scorpius?"

"Why do you keep mentioning him all the time?" Albus asked in an annoyed tone.

"You were the one to mention him first. And I just thought that…"

"Sorry, but you tend to think too much."

"Oh, excuse _me_ if I'm too smart for you," she said with a childish pout.

Albus laughed and soon, Rose joined in. She could be a little annoying from time to time, but he couldn't stay mad at her for more than five minutes. She would always make him laugh and cheer him up.

"Alright, I'm sorry. It's true that I can be too nosy sometimes," she apologized.

"Nah, it's fine," he said with a smile.

* * *

><p>Later in the afternoon, Albus and Scorpius were chatting in the Slytherin dormitory. It was quite early, so they were the only ones in there; everyone was either in the common room or somewhere else in the Castle.<p>

"We have to practice more now; Ravenclaws are a pretty strong opponent…" Scorpius said.

"I know… By the way, I have a new strategy. Nothing fantastic, but I think it could help a little… You'll be the one to decide," Albus said and smiled shyly.

"That's really nice, Al," the blond boy said in an encouraging tone. "We'll talk about it when we'll all be together."

"What about Sunday morning?" Albus asked.

"I can't. I have a detention this Sunday, remember?"

"Oh, yeah… I completely forgot about that."

There was a short moment of silence.

"But, maybe it's better this way…" Albus muttered.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Well, I… I was trying to find a free day to… er, to ask Daisy out," Albus said without looking at Scorpius. He sounded as if he was trying to convince himself by saying it out loud. It was a very rushed decision. There was no anticipation at all. Albus knew that there was no excitement, no feeling in his voice.

It took a while for Scorpius to respond.

"Excuse me?"

"I said that I, I was planning to ask Daisy out…"

"I know perfectly well what you just said. I just… I can't believe it!" Scorpius exclaimed in a harsh tone.

"But, why? You knew she liked me…"

"Exactly! _She_ likes you! You never told me _you_ liked her!"

"I-I don't like her! But maybe I could… I mean, if I don't give her a chance, I'll never know how things could have turned out…"

"That's not how love works!" Scorpius cried. He looked furious but you could see only sorrow in his eyes.

Albus felt extremely bad. Why was Scorpius reacting like this? Had he hurt him unwillingly once more?

_Oh,__ maybe I know why after all…_

"Are you… _jealous_?" Albus asked tentatively.

"Of course not!" Scorpius replied too quickly.

"Why didn't you tell me? I'm your friend!"

"That's _exactly_ the problem! You're only my _friend_!"

"Well, what did you want me to be so you could tell me? Your brother?"

"What?" Scorpius asked, confused.

"It's not such a bad thing to admit that you like a girl… If you want Daisy, I have no problem at all. And I haven't talked to her yet…"

Scorpius looked completely astonished.

"What?" he repeated. "I don't like Daisy!"

"Then why are you overreacting?"

"I'm not… It's just that… Ugh! Why do you want to date a girl you just said you don't love?"

"Why is this bothering you so much? You're not that girl!"

Scorpius let out a bitter laugh. "I don't have to be her to tell you this! Just ask anyone!"

Albus was getting really angry but he couldn't clearly understand why.

"Is it, is it because she's a Gryffindor?" he asked, even if he knew that his question was stupid.

"No!"

"So you have a crush on her! I can't see any other reason! I don't believe a word you're saying!" Albus exclaimed.

Now Albus knew why he was angry. Scorpius liked Daisy and he was lying to him. No, that wasn't it. The problem was that Scorpius _liked_ Daisy-and not because it was her in particular. Scorpius liked someone and it made Albus jealous. He had that crazy wish to be the one he liked. He knew he shouldn't feel this way, but he could not deny it.

"I already told you! I don't, so stop being so fucking stubborn!"

"Liar!" Albus shouted. He wasn't thinking rationally anymore. Jealousy was blinding him.

"Ugh, fuck this!" Scorpius exclaimed in an exasperated tone. "I'm gay, okay?"

Albus froze. His heart missed a beat and then started beating like crazy. He didn't know how to react. It was so unexpected… and yet it was thrilling. No, it was just surprising, Albus tried to correct his mind.

A pitiful "What?" was the only thing he could say right now.

"I don't like girls! I never did! Is this clear enough for you?" Scorpius yelled.

"Y-yes," Albus stammered, not looking at him.

"Are you satisfied now?"

"No," he mumbled.

"So, what are you waiting for then? Come on; run away from me as if I was the most disgusting living being on Earth!"

Scorpius was so hurt it tore Albus' heart. He could see the tears glistening in the corner of his eyes, and the effort Scorpius was making to hold them back. Albus felt extremely ashamed. Why did he have to be so stubborn? He was sure Scorpius had never said this to anyone before. He had forced him in the worst way to admit something he didn't want to share.

"I'd never do that, and you know it," Albus said in a whisper.

"How can I be sure? I feel like I don't know a single damn thing anymore!"

"Please, believe me, it doesn't change anything..." Albus said in a broken voice. His throat was aching, and so did his chest.

"It changes a hell lot of things, Albus! Now you'll think I only want to fuck you or something!"

Albus felt all the blood of his body rush to his face. Scorpius didn't mean it literally obviously, but he couldn't help imagine it.

"What if I-" but Albus didn't finish his sentence. _What if I wanted to?_ He couldn't say it… yet. No, he couldn't say it, _dot_. He was his best friend. And as Scorpius said, it's not because he was gay that it meant he liked every male he talked to.

"_What if_ what?" Scorpius asked.

"Nothing."

There was a very long silence. They were both lost in their thoughts.

"Come here," Albus eventually said and patted his bed.

Scorpius didn't stir, so Albus got off of his bed and went to sit next to his friend. An exasperated sight escaped Scorpius' mouth. Albus sat down farther away than necessary. He didn't really know what to do. He was only sure of one thing: he couldn't stand seeing him like that.

Albus gently placed his hand on Scorpius' knee. It wasn't the right thing to do though. Scorpius jumped up and looked at him with so much hatred it made Albus feel sick. He had never looked at him like this. Actually, he had never seen him look at anyone like this. There was so much anger and pain in his eyes, Albus would have preferred to die than have to bear this sight any longer.

_Why does it hurt so much?_

_Why is it so hard for me to do something right?_

_Why__…_

"Are you doing this on purpose or what? Could you please stop making this any harder for me?" Scorpius asked in a harsh voice.

"I was… only trying to help…"

Albus bit his lip. The knot in his throat was becoming unbearable.

"You should try harder then," Scorpius said with no mercy.

Albus closed his eyes tightly. He was so close to tears… But he didn't have the right to cry. He wasn't the one that had been humiliated.

He felt a single tear roll down his cheek. He bit his bottom lip harder. Now he could taste both salt and blood.

He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and tried one last move. Scorpius was standing his back turned to him. Albus lifted his hand hesitantly and touched Scorpius' fingertips. A shiver passed through the body of the two teenagers. Scorpius clenched his fists.

"Stay away from me," he hissed. "At least for a while…" he added in a softer tone.

"But…"

Scorpius didn't let him finish. He quickly went to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. Then, Albus heard a loud thud. Scorpius must be unleashing his anger, Albus thought.

He curled up on Scorpius' bed and let the tears flow. He soon started sobbing uncontrollably.

Now he knew…

He loved him.

He loved him and he had hurt him once again.

How many times can somebody be forgiven?

How much pain can a heart endure?

How much love is enough to heal the wounds?

Albus wasn't confused anymore. This certainty made him feel better. He didn't feel guilty for his feelings. It didn't seem wrong now. The problem was elsewhere. What was he going to do? Scorpius was probably crying at the moment, locked in a toilet stall, thinking that Albus must be repulsed by him now or something insane like that. Albus could go find him of course, but it would only make the situation even worse. So he stayed there, wishing everything could be easier.

* * *

><p><em>Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry<em>

_You don't know how lovely you are_

_I had to find you_

_Tell you I need you_

_Tell you I set you apart_

_Tell me your secrets_

_And ask me your questions_

_Oh, let's go back to the start_

* * *

><p>Scorpius slammed the bathroom's door behind him. He clutched his fingers on the edges of the sink with all his strength and leaned over, letting the bitter tears make their way down to his lips.<p>

He was mostly mad at himself for not being self-controlled. Why did he say that to Albus? Couldn't he have just shut his mouth? He remembered Rose's words:

_Give Albus some time. Don't rush._

He had done the exact opposite.

_Fuck!_

He violently kicked the bin next to him. His toes hurt like hell but nothing could make him suffer more than what he was already going through. He was truly desperate now. Albus would avoid him from now on. He had thought he had managed to build up something between them… It had been all useless. And the worst part was that he knew it. He knew he would be the loser of the story, but he still tried. He hadn't been careful enough.

He had hoped too much. And he had been silly enough to expect Albus running after him.

It was all over now…

* * *

><p><em>Nobody said it was easy<em>

_It's such a shame for us to part_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_No one ever said it would be this hard_

_Oh, take me back to the start_

* * *

><p>Albus hugged Scorpius' pillow. He tucked his nose into it and let himself get drunk by the boy's scent. He closed his eyes and imagined he was holding Scorpius and smelling his soft blond hair. He unconsciously started stroking the pillow. And then he realized he could never really do this, so he teared up again and held the pillow tighter.<p>

_Why __is love so complicated?_

* * *

><p><em>Tell me you love me<em>

_Come back and haunt me_

_Oh, and I rush to the start_

* * *

><p><em>Why is love so complicated?<em> Scorpius wondered.

* * *

><p><em>Running in circles<em>

_Chasing our tails_

_Coming back as we are_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_Oh, it's such a shame for us to part_

_Nobody said it was easy_

_No one ever said it would be so hard_

_I'm going back to the start._


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter XII**

Scorpius stayed locked inside a toilet stall for hours. He waited there 'till everyone went to sleep. When he was sure that no one would see him, he left the bathroom quietly and walked towards his bed, but when he reached it, Scorpius gasped. His bed wasn't empty. He felt his heart leap. He immediately recognized that mop of messy dark hair.

_What the…_

He kneeled beside his bed, in front of Albus' face. Scorpius was mesmerized by how much Albus looked peaceful in his sleep. If it wasn't creepy, he could stay there and just look at him until the sun rises. It was the only time he could freely stare at him. A small smile appeared on Scorpius' face. Albus looked so fragile and innocent… Scorpius stretched his arm and caressed Albus' cheek. To his surprise, Albus grinned in his sleep. Scorpius touched him again. Albus unconsciously moved closer. Scorpius' smile widened. But then he noticed something: Albus was holding _his_ pillow against his chest. Scorpius' heart rate quickened. What does this mean? Was there still some hope for them?

Scorpius looked at Albus lovingly. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried to free his pillow from Albus' grasp. It was cold and wet with tears. Had Albus cried on it? Scorpius felt really guilty. It was his fault. He had been too rude. He had to apologize to him as soon as possible. Besides, he knew he couldn't stay away from Albus for too long. His absence made him feel empty.

He tried to loosen Albus' grip on the pillow again. But Albus held it tighter and grumbled. Scorpius tried not to laugh.

_Oh, Al__, I just wanted to make you more comfortable… _

Albus was still wearing his school uniform. Scorpius hesitated for a brief moment before taking off Albus' shoes. Then, he tried to untie his tie. His hands had started shaking lightly. Albus wasn't making it any easier. He didn't want to let that pillow go and his lips were parted in a sensual way that made Scorpius forget his main purpose. The blond boy tried to clear his mind. He finally managed to get the tie off and unbutton the first two buttons of Albus' shirt. Albus had started moving in his sleep. Scorpius got up from his position. Albus shouldn't find him there, undressing him, after what he had just told him. So he closed the bed's curtains and went to sit on Albus' bed.

* * *

><p>Albus woke up with a weird feeling of emptiness in his chest. He didn't want to return to the sad reality. He had had a <em>really<em> nice dream:

_He was sleeping, when he felt a soft hand caress his cheek. He opened his opened his eyes and saw Scorpius. Albus felt genuinely happy. He straightened up and hugged the blond boy. Then, Scorpius kissed him, holding him tightly against his body. At first, the kiss was slow and soft, but it soon became more passionate. Albus moaned as Scorpius started nibbling his neck and unbuttoning his shirt. He lied on the bed again, and Scorpius sat astride him, a mischievous smirk on his face. Albus took a deep breath as the boy he loved put his hands on his hips and slowly started pulling down his pants…_

And that's where Albus had woken up. What wouldn't he give to make this dream come true? And what was he going to do now? He had gotten hard, yet _again_. This had become part of his everyday life. He couldn't stop having dirty thoughts about Scorpius. His dreams were more vivid each time. Albus sighed. He slid his hand in his underpants. He grabbed his cock and began stroking it slowly. He shut his eyes and a moan escaped from his mouth. He pressed harder. He imagined it was Scorpius' hand that was playing with his cock. Albus' breathing had become too heavy. Someone might hear him. So he stretched his free hand towards the bedside table, to take his wand, to cast a silencing charm. But there was nothing on it. Though, Albus remembered very clearly placing his wand on the bedside table. He opened the drawer.

_What the fuck? These aren't my things!_

And then he finally realized what had happened. He had fallen asleep on Scorpius' bed… Albus felt his face get hot. He felt even more ashamed when he thought about what he had been doing a few moments ago. But then he noticed something else: the curtains were closed and he wasn't fully clothed. He was sure he hadn't moved after curling up on Scorpius' bed. Had Scorpius…? At the thought of him unbuttoning his shirt, Albus' unsatisfied erection got even harder. If only he could cast a silencing spell… He searched in the drawer again. Maybe he could find Scorpius' wand. It wasn't in there obviously. But he found something that caught his attention. It was a small tube of lube. Albus' mind jumped immediately on the worst conclusion. Was Scorpius seeing someone? Anger and jealousy took possession of his whole being. He would find that guy and kill him.

_Ugh, Albus, come on, that's __crazy…_

But he would ask him. He could never calm down if he didn't know. But what if Scorpius really had a secret boyfriend? Only the thought of it made him feel sick. No, he would have told him if he had one, wouldn't he? Albus got up abruptly; he wanted to know _now_.

Albus rushed to the bathroom. He needed a cold shower. But when he entered hurriedly in, he bumped against someone and lost his balance. A strong pale hand prevented his fall.

"Whoa, slow down, mate!" Scorpius said with a laugh.

Albus' cheeks flushed. "I-I have t-to…"

"No, wait a sec!" Scorpius hastened to say and grabbed Albus' arm as the dark-haired boy tried to get away.

Albus hesitated. Scorpius shouldn't notice the bump of his crotch.

"_Please_," Scorpius begged. His pleading expression was so adorable, Albus couldn't refuse.

_Oh, __Merlin, help me…_

He stood there, his arms awkwardly interlaced, his hands covering his crotch. Albus felt really stupid. He knew it would only make it more obvious, but he didn't know what else to do.

Scorpius took a deep breath. "I… I'm really sorry for yesterday. I shouldn't have reacted like that. I shouldn't have doubted you… I - I hope you will forgive me."

He sounded really sad and tired. It was only then that Albus noticed how miserable Scorpius looked today. His face was even paler than usual, which made the dark circles under his red, swollen eyes, even more noticeable. It was obvious that he hadn't slept at all. _And it's my fault_, Albus reminded himself.

"I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have forced you to say it…"

"So… still friends?" Scorpius asked and held out his hand.

Albus smiled. It was just like when they were kids. An image of two little boys shaking hands popped up in his head. He squeezed Scorpius' hand and said the exact same thing the small dark-haired boy used to say: "Of course, Scorp', I'll always be your friend."

Scorpius grinned widely and his tired face lit up. Albus knew he remembered these words as clearly as him. But then, this short moment of happiness was interrupted by an overwhelming feeling of melancholy. Albus realized he missed those days. Everything was so much easier back then… It was years of innocence and airiness. Things had changed so much since then… He felt guilty, guilty for being on the verge of breaking that childhood promise so many times, now that he was supposed to be more responsible. Poor Scorpius… if he knew… He was a bad friend. Scorpius deserved better. Someone he could really trust and rely on.

"I'm so sorry," Albus whispered. "For everything."

Scorpius looked at him with a confused expression. Albus didn't want to have to explain, so he quickly mumbled "I really have to go now" and went to take his shower, letting a lost Scorpius behind.

* * *

><p>David hadn't slept at all either, because of three persons: Albus, because he couldn't stop thinking of him, Malfoy, because Albus preferred this boy to him, and finally Wilson, because he was making his life a living hell.<p>

He missed Albus' company very much. Their fight was only two days ago, but it seemed like an eternity to him. He wanted to talk to him again, he _needed_ his presence. But he didn't want to make the first move. It was Albus' fault, so he was the one who should apologize. David wouldn't allow himself to appear like the weak one. He had some patience, so he would wait… But what if… what if Albus didn't regret his words? What if he never talked to him again? No, that was not possible, he was a Potter… He would come back.

He would come back but he could never be truly his. Albus didn't seem to be aware of it, but he was depending in a strange way of Malfoy. David knew Albus could never let Malfoy. He would never stop being his friend, even if it meant that David wouldn't be a part of his life. It was the pure truth, a cruel fact that felt like a blade in David's heart. He knew he should forget him. Nothing would change anyway. As much as it hurt to admit it, Albus belonged to someone else, whether that someone deserved it or not.

He had never liked that Malfoy kid - and not only because of Albus. From the very beginning, a strong antipathy towards him was born. If he wanted to be honest with himself, he should admit that it was caused mainly by jealousy. Scorpius Malfoy was rich, handsome, athletic, smart, confident, and his family was still quite powerful, in spite of their really dark past. Roughly, he was everything he wished to be, which was exactly why the fact that Albus had chosen him hurt him even more. Keeping in mind also that Malfoy's ancestors were all servants of the Dark Lord, who had destroyed Albus' father's family… How could Albus _like_ someone like him? Of course, he could hear Albus say firmly: "He's not like them." But how could Albus be so sure? Did he really know Malfoy as much as he thought? When they met each other they were only kids, and then, they hadn't talked for two years. Albus could be so naïve… He was just like his father: he trusted people easily and forgave even more quickly. David was sure that Albus should be more careful, mostly because he knew how sensitive that boy was.

And then, there was that Wilson prat. He knew the feelings David had for Albus, and seemed determined to use this discovery to annoy him even more. David couldn't understand why Wilson was so mean to him. They had never gotten to know each other, so he could see no reason for Wilson to have a grudge against him. And lately, he was becoming more and more unbearable. The only explanation Wilson had ever given him was that David wasn't acting like a true pureblood Slytherin he was. But was this the real reason? It didn't sound like a reason enough to treat him like that.

_You're a disgrace to our kind._

Even if he hated Wilson, those harsh words hurt him. He knew he wouldn't stop, even if he talked to him, but he wanted to know why that guy was so obsessed with him. Maybe if he knew why, he could find a way to improve the situation… _maybe._

* * *

><p>David left the dungeons and headed towards the Great Hall. At the turn of a corridor, he saw a tall boy with dirty blond hair, wearing a Slytherin uniform, standing his back against the wall.<p>

_Oh, shit._

David quickened his steps and walked past him, his gaze on the floor, all his courage gone. He heard an evil sneer and felt a hand violently pulling him back.

"Not so fast, Collins!"

Ethan pinned him against the wall. David's heart rate fastened.

"So, you're ignoring me now?" Ethan hissed.

"I just… I d-didn't see you," David stammered.

Ethan grabbed him from the collar of his shirt.

"You think you're smart, don't you?" he said, narrowing his eyes.

His face was only inches of David's. He didn't seem to have the notion of personal space. David tried to escape, but Ethan placed his wand under his chin, a menacing look in his unusual eyes. Fear seized David. Ethan looked really dangerous with his ferocious gaze and his sharp canines.

"You're shaking, Collins," Ethan simply stated.

David tried to control his body. "What's your problem with me?" he asked in a trembling voice.

"I just don't like you, that's all. Your stupid face is annoying me. By the way, you look even worse than yesterday…"

Ethan leaned and whispered in his ear: "It's because you didn't get to fuck Potter, isn't it?" The feel of his breath against his skin gave David goose bumps. "See? I told you you're nothing. Potter made the right choice," Ethan continued, his words like poison.

"SHUT UP!" David yelled and pushed him away with all the strength he could find. "You disgust me."

Ethan's face hardened. It was the first time David saw him like this. He looked almost hurt. Then, Ethan's eyes flashed with anger. He threw himself on David and pushed him violently. David's head banged against the wall. And before the boy even had the time to feel the pain and react, Ethan crushed his lips on David's own.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:__ I'm extremely sorry for taking so much time to update the fic. My beta had a problem and couldn't answer me; she's really sorry too. _

_I hope you'll like this chapter_

_By the way, thanks for your lovely reviews, I replied to all of them, except for those of "RandomReader" and "Crazy-Lil-Yume-Chan", since I couldn't answer back. So, thank you!_

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><p><strong>Becoming<strong>** of a friendship**

**Chapter XIII**

David was really shocked. For a few seconds, he didn't react at all. But then he started struggling to break free from Ethan's grip. But the other boy was taller and stronger than him. And the more he felt David wriggle, the more he became aggressive. Their teeth clashed. David's mouth opened and Ethan took this opportunity to cram his tongue in. This contact made David shiver. He heard Ethan let out a grunt. David had the impression that his ribs would break under the pounding of his heart.

It was a weird sensation. He was feeling a mixture of fear, anger, but also pleasure. He couldn't let Ethan use him though. He had to stop this, because if he didn't, Ethan would have one more reason to make fun of him. So David bit Ethan's bottom lip with all his might. It worked. Ethan abruptly broke the kiss and jerked back, swearing. A drop of blood pearled on his lip. He looked rabid. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, ready to charge. David felt his face grow pale. He would pay for what he had done. David held his breath, feeling his heart up in his throat. He closed his eyes, waiting to receive Ethan's fist on his face, or worse, a curse. But nothing happened. He heard a sigh. David opened his eyes. Ethan had just turned his heel, walking away with fast steps, his robe swirling behind him.

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><p>Later in the afternoon, Scorpius and Albus were walking by the lake. Scorpius was beaming. They hadn't hanged out together outside the Castle since Third Year. Of course, he would love to hold Albus' hand, but he never considered actually doing it.<p>

"Look! Scorp, look!" Albus exclaimed, pointing his finger towards the lake. "Did you see that?" he asked, hopping with excitement.

"See what?"

"That thing that just popped out of the water! It looked like a mermaid's tail!"

"Al, Merpeople live so deep in the lake that I don't think you could see one…"

"But I saw it! I swear! Ugh, Scorp, you missed it!"

Scorpius didn't insist on the fact that it must have been some other creature. He smiled, amused by Albus' behaviour. He acted just a little kid. It was adorable.

"You're cute," Scorpius said without really thinking.

Albus stopped moving. He looked at Scorpius with round eyes.

"Er, don't take it wrong," Scorpius said quickly.

But Albus had a small grin on his face.

"Thanks," he said shyly, looking at the grass, his cheeks red.

Scorpius felt light-hearted. He smiled broadly to himself. They started walking side by side again, both silent. Albus was the first one to break the silence.

"Um, can I ask you something?" He sounded very hesitant.

"Yes?"

"Er… If you… If you had a boyfriend, you would have told me, wouldn't you?"

Scorpius laughed, and then said in a serious tone: "Albus, if I had a boyfriend, you would be the first one to know it." His gaze must have been too intense, because Albus looked away; his cheeks still a little pink. He looked quite relieved nonetheless.

"Speaking of boyfriends and stuff, did you talk to Daisy?" Scorpius asked as casually as he could.

"No."

"You know, I'm really sorry for what I said about you two. I promise you I won't interfere in your love life anymore."

It was really hard to say this, but Scorpius knew it was the right thing to do if he wanted them to remain friends.

"That's really nice of you," Albus replied, "but you won't need to. I won't ask her out. You were right. I don't love her, so there's no reason at all to date her."

"What are you going to tell her?" Scorpius asked, afraid that if he didn't talk he would just smile like an idiot.

"What I just told you," Albus answered. Then he frowned and added: "In a nicer way, I guess…"

Scorpius tried not to laugh at Albus' expression.

"I have something else to tell you," Albus said.

Scorpius waited for him to continue.

"It's… It's about David. I know you don't like him, and, well, it's true that he doesn't either, but he's my friend… I can't stand seeing him all alone…"

"He could make new friends, you know," Scorpius said coldly.

Albus looked at him as if he had just admitted he admired Voldemort or something.

"You know it's not easy for him!" Albus exclaimed, indignant.

"Why?" Scorpius asked, trying to stay calm.

Albus shook his head with exasperation. "You already know why! He came here at the beginning of our Fourth Year, just after we, er, stopped being friends, so I was the first person that befriended him. I can't just abandon him like that. It's not his fault if he didn't get to know many other people. Actually, it's entirely mine. I was desperately clinging on him because I wanted a friend just for me, because… because I missed you." Albus' voice broke, but he continued. "Of course, it wasn't the same. He never replaced you. But I really do care about him."

Scorpius was extremely ashamed of himself. It was only now that he realized how much his decision had influenced Albus. His only problem had been how to keep his feelings a secret. He hadn't thought it could hurt him…

"I… I understand; it's just that… um, we seem to be constantly arguing about him… He…"

"Why?" Albus asked in a whisper, "Why did you change your mind? Why did you make new friends? Did you not want me anymore? Did I do something wrong?"

_Oh, __no, he teared up. _

"I thought…" Albus continued, "I thought that our friendship was strong…"

"Shhh, come here," Scorpius said and pulled him closer. Albus rested his head on the blond boy's shoulder. Scorpius petted Albus' hair. "You did nothing wrong, Al, it was me… I was afraid… I was young and my father didn't really approve of our friendship, you see…"

_At least it's not entirely a lie…_

Albus let out a strangled laugh. "That sounds like those stupid breakup lines in muggle movies."

Scorpius laughed too. "Should I feel offended?"

"No," Albus said in a sniff. "I'm crying too much lately… I'm sorry, it's ridiculous. I can't remember crying so much in such a short time…"

Scorpius pushed gently Albus back, so he could see him face up. "Remember what you told me? There's no shame in expressing your feelings," he said and wiped away a tear from Albus' cheek. Albus blushed and looked away.

"Albus, look at me."

Albus turned his gaze back at him unwillingly.

"You know, you have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen," Scorpius muttered.

Albus' mouth opened in shock. "S-Scorpius, w-what are you saying?"

"The truth," Scorpius answered with a crooked smile.

Albus' alarm was a good sign. Scorpius felt confident. Maybe he wanted it too… Maybe it was the right moment… He took Albus' face between his hands. The dark-haired boy froze - a terrified expression on his face. Scorpius' determination flew away. He lowered his hands and cleared his throat, avoiding Albus' gaze.

"Er, we should go back to the Castle, it's getting late," Scorpius said.

Albus remained silent. Scorpius glanced at him. Albus' face was unreadable. Scorpius started walking towards the Castle. Albus followed him quietly. Scorpius couldn't remember having felt so awkward in his life. He was feeling oppressed by the heaviness of the atmosphere. Every second that ticked by seemed like an hour to him.

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><p>David couldn't stop thinking about what had happened in the morning. He would have never expected <em>that<em> was the reason behind Ethan's behaviour. It seemed just completely impossible. The worst part was that, despite the fact that he couldn't stand him; he had liked the kiss, even if it had been really rough. But of course, the other boy should never know this. Then he thought of Albus. He couldn't help imagining how different it would be to kiss _him_. Albus was the exact opposite of Ethan: sweet, shy and humble. And now David didn't know what to expect. What would be Wilson's next move? What would _he_ prefer him to do? And… would Albus come to talk to him again?

_Albus…_

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><p>Albus kept replaying the scene of the lake. Scorpius had complimented him <em>twice<em>. He had never complimented him before—at least appearance-wise. And then, there was that moment, when Scorpius seemed about to kiss him… He freaked out, because he didn't know what he should do, and so Scorpius must have thought that he was horrified by the idea of being kissed by another boy. If he hadn't acted like a sissy, the moment he had been dreaming of for quite a while now would have come.

_Wait__… does __this mean that… Scorpius likes me back?_

Albus shivered with excitement. So Scorpius had really been jealous, Albus had just made the wrong assumption. He felt the urge to run find him and just let himself free to say everything he kept in his heart. But first, he had to save his friendship with David.

Albus left his bed and went to the Slytherin common room. There was none of his friends in there… except Ethan. He didn't like much talking to this boy; he always made him feel uncomfortable. Albus approached the armchair Ethan was sitting on. He had a preoccupied look on his face. The dark-haired boy hesitated a little.

"Hey…"

Ethan looked up at him and frowned. "What do you want, Potter?" he asked in a cold voice.

"Er, I was wondering if you had seen David…"

Albus had the impression that for the slightest moment there had been an unexplainable hint of dread in Ethan's eyes.

"Why are you asking _me_ about _him_?"

His tone was hard and a little angry.

"I just thought you might know where he is…" Albus explained tentatively.

"What makes you think I'm the one who would know? We're not friends."

"I know, but you talk from time to time, so maybe-"

"We never talk, Potter, stop imagining things," Ethan cut him off.

Albus was taken aback by his aggressiveness. And he couldn't understand why Ethan was lying to him.

"And why are you searching for him by the way? Haven't you two broken up or something?" Ethan suddenly asked after a short silence.

"What? We haven't _broken up_! We're friends," Albus said and laughed awkwardly.

"_Friends_," Ethan repeated. "That's what _you_ think."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Albus asked, confused.

"Oh, come on! Isn't it obvious? Just make your little Weasley brain work…" Ethan said in an exasperated voice.

Albus scowled. He really didn't like this guy. "Stop being mean and just answer the question," he said calmly.

"Alright, since you can't figure it out by _yourself_, _I_'ll tell you," Ethan hissed. It was clear that he didn't like him at all either. "He loves you," he declared after a brief pause.

Albus was still very confused. "I know, I mean, I really care about him too," he said.

"For fuck's sake, Potter! Are you doing this on purpose or are you really _that_ stupid?" Ethan exclaimed. "He's _in _love with you! He has a crush on you, if you prefer!"

Albus gaped at him. Could this be true?

"H-how do you know?"

"Is this the only thing you have to say?" Ethan asked, incredulous.

Albus didn't answer.

"You can _see_ it, if you're observant enough", Ethan eventually explained. "No one needed to tell me."

Albus had no idea what to say. He couldn't find the strength to react. He still hadn't completely processed the information. It sounded so unbelievable… He had never suspected anything. But that was easily explicable: he had never really thought about homosexuality until only recently, so he wouldn't have considered the possibility that his friend could be gay… And for _him_? That was even crazier!

Albus felt sad. Sad, because he had thought everything would be finally less complicated now; sad, because he now understood why David seemed so hurt since Scorpius came back in his life… What should he tell him now?

And before Albus could find an answer, the door opened, letting a familiar figure appear. Albus' heart missed a beat. David was standing on the doorstep, his gaze passing from Albus to Ethan suspiciously. The blond one got up.

"Oh, welcome, Collins! Right on time!" Ethan said in a cheerful tone, arms open.

David gave him an angry look but ignored his greeting. He looked at Albus. The dark-haired boy blushed and turned his face away, lowering his head. It was hard to look at David now that he knew. There was a long awkward silence.

"Can't you just fuck off?" David abruptly asked Ethan.

"Nope. I don't want to miss _that!_"

"Miss what?"

"The little talk that will follow," Ethan answered and winked at him.

"Huh?"

"Potter, say something," Ethan said, turning to look at Albus.

Albus finally raised his head and looked at both of them. "I have nothing to say right now," he muttered.

David looked completely lost. "Okay, can someone just tell me what's going on here?"

"You'll soon know, don't worry. Meanwhile, why don't you come with me, I want to show you something…?" Ethan proposed.

The devilish grin he gave David made Albus' stomach flip.

"Wait, didn't you just say that you two never talk?" Albus asked.

Ethan gave him a murderous look. "Since you _have nothing to say right now_, shut up, Potter!"

"Hey!" David exclaimed. "Don't-"

"Okay, okay, fine! Now just follow me."

"Where are you-" Albus trailed off as Ethan silenced him with a glance.

Albus gave David a questioning look but the other boy avoided his gaze. Albus sighed, turned his back to them and headed to the dormitory. He had a lot to think about…


	14. Chapter 14

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter XIV**

David sat on a couch, his head between his hands.

"Hey, get up!" Ethan exclaimed. "I told you I wanted to show you something."

David looked up at him. "I'm not following you _anywhere_ if you don't tell me what the hell happened."

"So, if I tell you, you'll follow me?" Ethan asked seductively.

David rolled his eyes. "Ugh, okay, yes. I don't have much choice anyway."

"Perfect. Get up now."

"What? What did I just tell you?"

"You're too naïve, Collins. I have no reason at all to tell you what I talked about with someone else, so you do as I say and then I'll tell you. Let's call it a compromise."

"You bastard!" David hissed, gritting his teeth.

Ethan smirked and held out his hand. David pushed it away, annoyed. "I don't need your help to get up!"

Ethan raised his hands in the air. "As you wish!"

David glared at him, but he still got up. "Fine. Be quick."

Ethan stood aside to let him pass. David looked at him suspiciously. "Since when are you such a gentleman?" he asked the taller boy in a sarcastic tone.

"You know nothing about me," Ethan said simply. "Just walk."

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><p>When Scorpius saw Albus enter in the dormitory, he immediately knew something was wrong. The dark-haired boy walked past him, completely ignoring him, and collapsed on his bed. He remained motionless for several minutes, then sighed loudly. Scorpius went to sit next to him.<p>

"What's the matter, Al?"

"Nothing."

"I know you too well to believe this pitiful attempt at avoiding my questions."

Albus sighed again. "Is everyone gay in this house, or what?" he finally asked.

Scorpius laughed heartily. "Don't laugh, I'm serious," Albus interrupted him.

"Um, okay, I don't know about everyone, but I'm sure about two people."

"Who?"

"Well, me, and Ethan," Scorpius answered.

"WHAT? Ethan is _gay_?" Albus seemed utterly astonished.

"Of course he is! Everyone knows it!"

"I… I didn't…"

"Well, you know it now." Scorpius said and smiled. "And it seems that he has a lot of success, if you see what I mean…"

Albus' cheeks went pink. "Have you… Have you two ever…?" he asked tentatively.

"What? _NO!_ We've never… I've never…"

Scorpius rarely blushed, but he knew that right now his entire face was a bright shade of red.

"Not with anyone?" Albus insisted.

Scorpius was a little taken aback by Albus' persistence. He didn't reply, but the answer must have been clear on his face, since he got the impression that the dark-haired boy looked somewhat relieved. "Wait, why are you asking me?"

"Oh, nothing, I'm sorry." Albus mumbled, avoiding his gaze, blushing even more.

Scorpius couldn't resist asking. "Why, have _you_?"

Albus shook his head shyly.

"Um, let's return to your problem," Scorpius mumbled quickly, trying to prevent his mind from drifting away to inappropriate thoughts.

"Huh? What problem?" Albus asked, surprised, his train of thought probably interrupted by Scorpius' question.

"Er, you were asking me if I knew any other gay people in Slytherin…"

"Ah, yes… Let's just say that you can add someone else to the list."

"Who?" Scorpius asked, hopeful. His heart rate accelerated.

"David."

"Oh, _him_…" Scorpius' face fell.

"What? Did you already-"

"Hold on, since when do you know it?" Scorpius cut him off.

"Ethan just told me that… that David… er, likes me…"

"_What_? How does he… Why did he… Ugh! Where is that idiot? "

"Which one?"

If he wasn't angry, Scorpius would have laughed at Albus' question.

"Wilson!"

"He went somewhere with David…" Albus informed him.

"Since when do these two… _Oh_."

"What?" Albus asked innocently.

Scorpius snickered. "Holy crap! Don't tell me that that Collins is his new prey?"

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about? That's impossible!" Albus exclaimed.

"I don't see any other reason! They're supposed to hate each other, so why would they hang out now if Ethan didn't have an ulterior motive?"

"That's completely insane! Maybe they just realized the way they treated each other was stupid and now they see that they're not as different as they thought…"

"I'm not buying this. I'm sure something's going on," Scorpius said firmly.

"But you just said they hate each other! How could they be _together_?"

"Al, haven't you ever heard of love-hate relationships? As they say, hate is a passionate feeling… Besides, guys like Ethan are often mean to the person they like precisely in order to hide what they truly feel."

"I still don't believe this." Albus declared.

"Why? I think it's pretty obvious. Unless… Maybe you're jealous?"

"No! Of course not! I'm not jealous! Why would I be? I don't love _him_."

The way Albus had accentuated that last word made Scorpius' heart sink. Albus must already love someone. A girl, probably. Even if sometimes Scorpius seriously questioned his friend's sexuality, Albus had never said anything about it… And if he really _was_ gay, Albus would have told him so when _he_ had come out of the closet. Right?

"I don't understand you, Albus. You should be happy."

"Why should I be _happy_?"

"Because if they're really going out, it would mean that David finally got over you."

"Hey! I never mentioned the fact that David was in love with _me_!"

"What? You just did! Besides, that's not the point!"

"Oh, no, it _is_! It looks like _everyone_ knew it except _me_! I'm always the last one to get informed! At least _you_ should have told me!" Albus cried.

"I didn't want you to know it! I was afraid that if you knew, you might… you know…"

"What? Become his boyfriend? I never liked him that way, he's my _friend_!"

"I'm your friend too…" Scorpius risked, eyeing Albus carefully.

The dark-haired boy blushed furiously and broke eye contact. "That's not the point," he said. Scorpius smiled faintly, hearing the reiteration of his own statement. And then his smile became wider, as he realised what Albus' response could mean. Maybe he wasn't in love with a girl after all…

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><p>"Where are we going?" David asked for the fifth time.<p>

"You'll see," Ethan repeated just like the four previous times.

He really was grateful that David didn't like Quidditch. Because if he did, he would have guessed where he was being led, and would have probably gotten suspicious.

"I'm losing my patience… And since when are you offering to _share _something with someone like _me_, as you'd say?" David asked.

"You'll understand when we get there…" Ethan answered. "Oh, here we are!"

Ethan stopped in front of a small wooden door and pointed his wand towards it. "_Alohomora_." He opened the door and gave David a nod. The shorter boy looked at him suspiciously but stepped in.

"What the hell? It's almost completely dark in here!" David exclaimed.

Ethan quickly entered too and locked the door behind him.

"Where are we? Is this a prank or something? There's nothing to see!"

Ethan smirked and got closer to him. David stepped back and stumbled on something. There was a loud thud.

"Careful, Collins. Those are broomsticks. You wouldn't want to break any of them and get a detention, would you?"

"What? We're in a _cupboard_?"

"Yes, so stop moving so much, there isn't much space."

"Why did you bring me here?" David asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Take a guess…"

Ethan was starting to wonder how he managed to be so patient. David was really getting on his nerves.

"I don't know…" David mumbled.

"Ugh, you're talking too much!"

Ethan grabbed him by the waist and kissed him full mouth. David tried to free himself but tripped again, causing the fall of both of them. Ethan couldn't have asked for better. David was under him, at his mercy. Ethan leaned and kissed him again. David struggled and finally managed to push him away.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a breath.

"I thought it was obvious. I'm helping you to forget Potter."

"Who said I wanted your help?"

"If you didn't need some help, you would have forgotten him long ago. And don't tell me you don't want to, because there's no reason in obsessing over someone who doesn't like you back, Collins."

"Can you stop calling me that?" David asked angrily.

"Why? That's your name, right?"

"It's my _last_ name! I have a first one too! And you could use it, especially since you're…"

Ethan raised an eyebrow at him. "What? You think I actually _like_ you, _Collins_?"

David didn't answer. Ethan sneered.

"How pathetic! I'm a man, I have needs, I'm sure you can understand me…" he explained.

David straightened up so abruptly that Ethan almost fell. "I'm not a whore!" he yelled.

"But you like it, don't you?" Ethan whispered and violently pushed him down, before starting nibbling his bottom lip. David growled but didn't move. Ethan's mouth found its way down to David's neck. He got rid of David's tie and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. To his surprise, David didn't try to stop him. Ethan started sucking on the sensitive skin of the side of David's neck.

"No, don't you dare make a hickey," David whimpered.

"Already done, sorry!" Ethan announced with a smirk and pressed his lips on those of David. This time, David kissed him back. And with _tongue_. This was enough for Ethan to completely surrender to his desire. He slid his hands in David's pants and squeezed his arse. David moaned loudly and finally put his hands on Ethan's hips. Ethan took it as a 'yes'. He rubbed his growing erection against David's crotch as he pressed their bodies together. He felt that the boy beneath him was hard too, and this excited him more than anything. Ethan kissed him passionately while trying to get rid of David's pants. But David grabbed Ethan's wrist before he had the time to get them off.

"No," David muttered.

"Why?" Ethan asked, extremely disappointed.

"I just… I can't."

"You _can't_ or you don't _want_ to?"

Ethan could feel the anger rising.

"Both," David said, looking away.

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "It's because of _him_, isn't it?"

"No, it's not that…"

Ethan got up abruptly. "Well, I suppose it's better we don't, you see, I wouldn't like it if you called me by the wrong name while fucking." he spat.

David seemed taken aback by his bluntness.

"What?" Ethan asked him, "You wanted a more polite formulation? Like, I would be completely heartbroken if you happened to call me by the wrong first name while we would be happily making love?"

The other boy didn't answer and this made Ethan even angrier. It was better when David talked, actually… Ethan didn't know what he wanted anymore. The only thing he was certain about was that he couldn't stand the fact that that Potter was constantly on David's mind. Right now, he didn't know which one of them he hated the most.

"I can explain, if you want." David said in a low voice.

"I don't want to hear anything!" Ethan yelled and kicked the wall.

There was a loud _crack!_ as his big toe broke. The tall boy refrained from screaming in pain and rage and limped to the door.

"Ethan!" David shouted and got up. "Don't go!"

When he heard his first name, Ethan almost turned back. He clenched his hand on the doorknob.

"Just go fuck yourself, okay?" he eventually said.

He had hoped David would have answered back, but the other boy remained silent.

* * *

><p>One week had passed and many things had happened. Albus had told Rose everything because he really needed to talk to someone. He had been surprised by her reaction. Albus had thought she would get angry or be really shocked. When he had admitted he was gay, she had just laughed and said that "it was about time you realized it." And when she had stopped teasing him, she wished him "good luck with Blondie", which had made Albus' entire face turn a bright shade of red.<p>

He had also gone to find Daisy, and had told her that unfortunately he had realized that he already liked someone else. She had simply said 'okay' with a smile. _It must be a Gryffindor thing_, Albus had thought.

Then, he had tried to talk to David and had told him that he still wanted them to stay friends, but David had replied that this was the most stupid thing he had ever heard and that he didn't want to say anything more about that. He still greeted him whenever they met though, which was quite a relief for Albus.

Ethan hadn't approached David once, not even to humiliate him. And David realized that he missed that bastard and his stupid insults.

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:__ Thanks a lot to Celine for helping me out now that my beta is busy:)__ Also, I got an anonymous review that made me laugh, so thank you my dear friend that wants to "flay me alive" if the story doesn't end well. How sweet of you! ;P_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter XV**

Albus couldn't stop staring at Scorpius. He had been caught by the boy in question many times but he still continued observing him. And not only because the blond boy was handsome, but also because it was only now that Albus started noticing all the little adorable habits Scorpius had, like how he pursed his lips when he tried to concentrate, how he played with his fringe when he was bored, or how he always slightly lifted up his chin whenever he talked to someone or someone spoke to him - whether it was a student or an adult. The only time he didn't was when he talked with Albus. The knowledge of this fact made the dark-haired boy feel special.

His eyes met Scorpius' grey ones. This time, he grinned to his friend. Scorpius responded with a smile that took Albus' breath away. Albus looked away again, afraid that the other boy could read his face. He started fidgeting on his seat. It was getting quite hard to be close to Scorpius — both metaphorically and literally. He constantly wanted to touch him. He had often wondered what would happen if he actually did it. Maybe he should try and see… Albus looked up at Scorpius. The blond boy was watching their professor attentively, as he explained the lesson. One of his hands was on the bench and the other one was laid on his book. Albus gulped, his heart beating quickly. He approached him and placed his right hand on the bench, next to Scorpius' own. He glanced at his friend. He wasn't paying attention to him. Albus took a deep breath and put his hand on the one next to his. Scorpius jumped. He looked at their hands with surprise and then slid his eyes to meet Albus' emerald ones. The dark-haired boy had the impression that he had forgotten how to breathe. He tried to smile but his lips curled awkwardly in a wince. Scorpius smirked though, and interlaced their fingers. Albus could hear his accelerated pulse; the look the other boy gave him made him feel dizzy. Their hands had touched on many occasions, but this time it was different. What he saw in those grey eyes that were staring right into his soul was the most precious thing in the world. Albus felt like the happiest man on Earth. Scorpius stroked Albus' hand with his thumb.

"It's my lucky day, isn't it?" he asked in a whisper.

"It's _our_ lucky day." Albus corrected him.

Scorpius laughed lightly and squeezed his hand.

"Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy! Silence please!"

Albus bit his lip and heard the boy beside him stifle a laugh.

* * *

><p>David hid himself behind a column, a few paces from the entrance of the Slytherin common room. He didn't have to wait much. A tall boy with dirty blond hair went out in the hallway.<p>

_It's my turn to play dirty now, Wilson…_

David followed him silently. At the turn of a small dark corridor, he grabbed his arm and shoved Ethan to the wall, before kissing him breathlessly. Ethan didn't resist at all. On the contrary, he slid his hands under David's shirt and started exploring his back with his fingertips.

Ethan eventually broke the kiss and said with a sneer: "Ah, I see you stopped wearing a scarf every day…"

"You still haven't paid for that hickey." David replied.

"Come on then, punish me!" Ethan exclaimed and winked at him suggestively.

"Oh, don't worry, Wilson, you'll get your punishment when the time comes."

Ethan's evil smile disappeared. "I thought you called me by my first name…"

"Not until _you_ start calling me David."

"Oh, I see. You finally decided to act like a Slytherin." Ethan teased him.

"By the way, I still haven't forgiven you for telling Albus that I liked him."

"_Liked_? You don't anymore?"

"I… I don't know. I'm quite confused lately." David admitted and sighed.

"At least now your mind can be in peace. If Albus hadn't found out, you would never have known what would have happened when he did and you might have had regrets later." Ethan explained in soft voice that David hadn't imagined he could use.

"Maybe…"

There was a long silence. Ethan was playing with the tip of David's belt.

"Listen," David said at last, "about that time in the cupboard… I swear it wasn't because of Albus. It was because… um… look, I've never said this to anyone and I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it with you."

"What? Is it because you're a virgin?"

"No. That's exactly the problem; that I'm not."

"And why would this be a problem? I don't care about your past sex life."

"That's not it. Ugh, I told you this topic makes me uncomfortable." David said.

"I don't get it."

"And you never will, if you don't stop putting pressure on me!" David angrily stated.

"You should know that I'm very impatient. Explain to me _now_, or I'll tell Malfoy that you tried to kiss Potter." Ethan threatened him.

"Oh, no, you wouldn't!"

"Oh, yes, I totally would. Wanna bet?"

"I hate you."

"I hate you too." Ethan replied with a smirk.

After remaining silent for a moment, David said: "Fine. Sit down; I'll tell you."

* * *

><p>When classes were over for the day, Scorpius asked Albus if he wanted to go for a walk with him.<p>

"Sure." The dark-haired boy answered with a wide smile on his face.

They walked side by side, silent, their shoulders brushing every two steps. Albus didn't mind at all that they weren't talking. It was better this way, enjoying each second that ticked by, knowing that the other person felt as happy as you. When they reached the lake, they found Rose and her best friend, Emma, sitting by the shore.

"Oh, hey, boys." Rose said with a smile.

Albus smiled back and greeted Emma. He knew that right now his cousin was eyeing them attentively, as if she was passing them through an X-ray. Albus didn't want to tease her any longer, so he gently took Scorpius' hand. Rose gasped and put her hand on her mouth. She jumped up and hugged tightly the two boys.

"I can't believe it! At last!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

Albus blushed but laughed along with Scorpius.

"I'll explain to you later." Rose said to Emma when she saw her friend's perplexed expression. "Can I steal him from you for a moment?" his cousin asked Scorpius.

"Of course." he replied with a chuckle. "Poor you, she's going to interrogate you to death." he whispered to Albus.

"I heard that!" Rose cried.

Albus laughed. "I think you were meant to."

Scorpius winked at the dark-haired boy and then turned to Rose's friend and asked her name. "Okay, so, Emma, let's leave these two alone."

Emma seemed quite lost, but she followed the blond boy to the Castle. Albus felt his chest tighten at the sight of Scorpius leaving.

"Congrats! So, tell me, what was it like?" Rose asked eagerly.

"How was what?"

"The kiss, obviously!"

Albus blushed up to the roots of his hair. "W-we d-didn't kiss."

Rose looked at him with round eyes. "_What_? You _didn't_? How is that even possible?"

"Rose, we, er, we aren't even together. I mean, it's only this morning that…"

"Al, you've both wanted this for years now. Come on, don't act all innocent." his cousin cut him off.

"Huh? _Years_? Don't exaggerate! I've only liked him for a month…"

Rose imitated a cough. "I'm pretty sure you loved him all along. You simply couldn't see it. As for him, you just have to ask him why he stopped being friends with you…"

The dark-haired boy remained silent, looking far away. Rose's behaviour was almost funny. No, the funny thing was how stupid he had been for being scared to tell her the truth. Just before pronouncing the words 'I'm gay', he had felt like a criminal being led to court. His cousin had always been understanding and encouraging. He shouldn't have been so afraid about coming out to her.

"Al? Are you listening to me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry."

"It's alright. Anyway, I have to go." Rose said.

"Okay. See you later then."

"Have fun!"

* * *

><p>After David had left, without even bothering to say 'goodbye', Ethan stayed seated in that small dark corridor for a long time, thinking. He felt guilty. If he wanted to be honest with himself, he had to admit that he actually cared about that boy; or at least more than for all of his ex-boyfriends — if he could call them 'boyfriends' that is. Every time he had liked someone, he had seduced them just in order to sleep with them one or two times. Then, he got bored and started searching for a new lover. There was only one simple rule: no mudbloods. Oh, and no Hufflepuffs. But with David it was different, and not only because he had been the only one to be so tough to get, but because the more they spent time together, the more he wanted to get to know him better. It's true that David could be very annoying at times, but Ethan had grown to accept his flaws, which wasn't something he used to do.<p>

Ethan thought about the story David had told him again:

_It was just the year before I came to Hogwarts. I was thirteen. I was very introverted, even more than now. I didn't have any friends. People avoided me, they thought I was weird. The fact that they knew I liked boys didn't help much either. I felt desperate. And then, one day, I met _him_. His name was Dylan. He was seventeen years old. For me, it had been love at first sight. He was incredibly handsome, thus very popular with girls. Some weeks later, I found the courage to go talk to him. I had come up with a stupid excuse, but it worked: I got to learn his name and he learnt mine… We started talking quite often. I hadn't told him the way I felt about him, but now I think that he had understood it. He was nice to me, he made me feel worthy. Of course, I had to contain my jealousy, you see, Dylan liked to make out with his numerous girlfriends in front of me. _

_The day he kissed me for the first time, I thought I had gone to heaven. I felt special, since he "had preferred me over all the others", as I liked to think. I was too young, not cool at all, average looking, and he had chosen me! Obviously, he had asked me to keep our relationship a secret. So he still dated other people. But I was happy. He knew how to play with words as well as he knew how to play with my heart. I believed everything he told me, every single lie he said. According to him, I was his "little love", as he used to call me, the only one that he truly cared about. How naïve of me! He was such a good manipulator! Anyway, we were together for a month approximately. _

_One night, after a date, he proposed that I go over to his house. I accepted the invitation, of course… He put on a movie to watch, but we soon forgot about it and started kissing. Dylan tried to take my clothes off but I stopped him. And that was where his behaviour completely changed. His __face hardened and he ordered me to take them off. __I got scared. He had never talked to me that way. When he saw that I wasn't obeying him, he beat me up. I cried and begged him to stop. He didn't. And as you can guess, he raped me. Needless to say that the day after, I was a total mess. I was completely heart broken. I felt used, dirty, thrown away like a vulgar piece of trash. I didn't talk to anyone for weeks. My mother wanted to know what had happened. She had never seen me like that. And she saw all the bruises that I had… When I finally told her as much as I had the strength to say, she went crazy. I had actually been afraid for _him_, with all the threats I heard her yell. Ha, can you imagine? I asked her to not do anything about it. I didn't want any trial or stuff like that. In the end, she listened to me. I wanted to forget everything. I wanted to leave the past behind me, so she agreed to my request. We moved. We even changed country. That's how I ended up here. _

_I know you don't want me to talk about him, but if Albus hadn't been there for me, I don't know if I would be still alive at the moment. He was the first person that showed me affection, and truly meant it. I suppose that's why I fell in love with him. So, please, you have to understand that it's not just a stupid obsession or whatever. (David had laughed bitterly there) See? I told you the reason wasn't him. You should stop hating him so much. He's the kindest person I know. Show some respect for once. It won't hurt you. _

Ethan had been surprised by David's cool while telling him what he had been through. His unreadable expression hadn't change during the whole story, his voice hadn't broken, nor had he shed a single tear. Ethan hadn't interrupted him at all. He had listened to every word attentively, feeling his cold heart tighten at each sentence David added. From the very start, he had guessed how it would end. He had let David finish though, hoping that maybe, just maybe, saying it out loud would help him. Because Ethan knew that, even if David hadn't mentioned it, the young man hadn't gotten over it, despite the time that had passed. It was one of those wounds that would never heal completely. You don't forget; you simply learn not to think about it.

What made Ethan feel extremely bad was that he now realized that he might have been the Dylan to someone. He hadn't gone as far as him, but he had never made the effort to not hurt the other person's feelings. Ethan tried to ignore the lump in his throat and promised to himself that he would treat David better from now on.

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:__ I hope you liked this chapter. So that was David's back-story… don't hate me too much, please:P (I almost teared up while writing it fyi, just like I had for chap. 11… I care too much about fictional characters.)_

_Sorry for the fluffiness overload of the first part of the chapter btw._

_Next Chapter:__ The moment you've been all waiting for?_

_PS:__ Thanks to Celine once again!_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter XVI**

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:__ I hope you like this chapter:)_

_The lyrics are taken from the song "Hanging by a moment", by Lifehouse. I love it. (I own nothing obviously.)_

* * *

><p><em>Desperate for changing<em>

_Starving for truth_

_I'm closer to where I started_

_Chasing after you_

_I'm falling even more in love with you_

_Letting go of all I've held onto_

_I'm standing here until you make me move_

_I'm hanging by a moment here with you_

* * *

><p>Albus ran to the dungeons. Scorpius wasn't in the common room, so the dark-haired boy went to the dormitory. The blond boy was lying on his bed, reading a book. When he saw the other boy, he smiled broadly. Albus jumped on Scorpius' bed and snatched the book from his hands. He noticed with excitement that Scorpius was wearing sweatpants. He loved it when he wore these. It suited him a <em>lot<em>. It made his bum—and other parts too—look so-

"Hey! Give me my book back!"

"Scorp, seriously, can't you read that damn book another time?" Albus sighed.

"Why? You got anything planned?" Scorpius asked in a playful tone.

Albus' cheeks turned red. "Eh?" Scorpius asked once more and poked his stomach. The dark-haired boy giggled and so Scorpius started tickling him. They both were soon laughing hysterically.

"Stop it! I can't!" Albus squeaked between two giggles.

"You want me to stop? You'll see now!" Scorpius warned him. As soon as his fingers touched him again, Albus burst out laughing and kicking in all directions. "No! Scorp!" The blond boy sat astride Albus' knees so that he couldn't escape. He noticed that Albus' shirt had been lifted up by all the agitation. His stomach looked… _delicious_. Scorpius had to restrain himself not to tear off the other boy's clothes and lick him all over. Albus had stopped laughing and was panting, cheeks flushed. Scorpius unconsciously ran his tongue over his lips. And then the dark-haired boy grabbed him by his tie and pulled him closer, so that their faces were only inches apart. There was an unusual glow in those deep green eyes. Scorpius gulped, feeling his whole body kindled.

"Kiss me." Albus said in a whisper.

Even though he hesitated for the briefest second, the blond boy didn't wait to be told twice. He closed the distance between them and softly pressed their lips together. Eyes closed, Albus inhaled deeply through his nose. He slid his fingers in Scorpius' hair. A shiver went down his spine when he felt the other boy's tongue between his slightly parted lips. Albus opened his mouth and moaned when their tongues finally met.

Scorpius' mouth was becoming insistent. The blond boy slowly pushed Albus down, until his head was resting on his pillow. Scorpius lay on top of him and started sucking on Albus' bottom lip. The dark-haired boy whimpered again and Scorpius couldn't help imagining, with a thrill of excitement, what he would sound like if they…

"Scorp, tell me…" Albus muttered, "What's the real reason you started avoiding me at the beginning of fourth year?"

"Um, I suppose I can tell you now… I started avoiding you as soon as I realized that I liked you more than I should. I was afraid that if I stayed friends with you, you would have found out my secret sooner or later."

"Did it never cross your mind that it could be better to simply tell me so?"

"And what would you have said, eh? Be honest Al, you wouldn't have been very happy to hear it."

"Well, I don't know, but I'm sure that I would have still wanted to be your friend…" Albus said.

"Maybe… And maybe we should stop talking about the past like two old people, don't you think?" Scorpius asked and smiled kindly.

Albus laughed lightly and nodded.

"Tomorrow's Saturday…" Scorpius said hesitantly. "Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"Is this a date?" Albus asked, his eyes shining with hope.

"Yes. It's a date." the blond boy replied before kissing Albus on his forehead. Albus grinned broadly, feeling his heart ready to explode with happiness.

* * *

><p><em>Forgetting all I'm lacking<em>

_Completely incomplete_

_I'll take your invitation_

_You take all of me now…_

* * *

><p>Albus couldn't relax enough to fall asleep. He was thinking of Scorpius, of the taste of his lips, of the way the weight of his body had pressed him down and how good it had felt, of his light eyes darkening as the moment was becoming more intimate…<p>

Albus got up and silently opened the curtains of the bed next to his own. Scorpius had his back turned to him. Albus leaned over him.

"Scorp? Are you awake?"

The blond boy straightened up with a jolt. "Albus! You scared the hell out of me!"

"I'm sorry." The dark-haired boy said in a tone that sounded a bit too cheerful to be honest.

"So, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Scorpius asked in a low voice.

"I can't sleep… I want to be with you."

Scorpius blinked, surprised. "That's funny. I mean, I couldn't sleep either, for the same reason…" he explained.

Albus climbed on the bed and placed a rushed kiss on Scorpius' lips before lying beside him. The blond boy gave him a questioning look, despite the fact that having Albus in his bed wasn't a bad thing _at all_.

"I'll sleep here." Albus said firmly.

Scorpius gave him an incredulous look. "_Here_? Albus you can't!"

"Why? No one can stop me. Unless _you_ don't want me to?" Albus said and pouted.

"_No_! I'd love it, but… Ugh, never mind."

Scorpius wrapped his arms around Albus' waist and pulled him closer. The dark-haired boy nestled his head in the crook of his shoulder, his left arm around the other boy's waist, and his right hand on his chest. Scorpius started petting Albus' hair gently, his other hand resting on his lower back.

"Good night." he whispered in his ear.

"Good night." Albus whispered back, a satisfied smile on his face.

* * *

><p><em>I'm falling even more in love with you<em>

_Letting go of all I've held onto_

_I'm standing here until you make me move_

_I'm hanging by a moment here with you_

_I'm living for the only thing I know_

_I'm running and not quite sure where to go_

_And I don't know what I'm diving into_

_Just hanging by a moment here with you_

* * *

><p>"David?"<p>

_David_…? That voice…

The boy in question looked up and his eyes met two cat-like ones. His heart started beating faster. He didn't know what the other boy had thought of what he had told him the other day. He hadn't given him the time to react; he had just left him there, too afraid to be rejected once more.

"Do you mind if I have breakfast with you?"

There was something different about the way Ethan addressed him, but David couldn't put a finger on it. Maybe it was his tone of voice. It was somewhat warmer, without that usual hint of sarcasm…

"No, sit."

Ethan sat next to him, purposely stroking David's thigh with his knee while doing so. David turned his gaze away, trying to focus on the plates in front of him. Some moments later, he felt Ethan's breath on his neck.

"This marmalade is delicious, isn't it?" the blond boy whispered sweetly before discretely licking the sensitive area under David's ear.

David shuddered. "Stop." he ordered him and looked around to see if someone had seen them. His eyes met those of Albus. The dark-haired boy seemed shocked. His gaze was passing from David to Ethan and vice versa. David saw Scorpius turn towards Albus, and then follow his gaze, until grey met blue. Scorpius smirked and whispered something to Albus, who frowned. Scorpius chuckled and squeezed his hand, saying something that made Albus blush and smile. David felt his heart sink.

So that was it. They were together.

David could feel Ethan's intense stare. He didn't dare look at him though; he knew that he had understood. He felt guilty for being jealous of Malfoy while sitting next to Ethan. It wasn't right. He should accept—at last—that it was over, and decide that it was time to move on.

The two teenagers ate silently, David looking only at his food, Ethan glancing at him every five seconds. Eventually, the blond one sighed and said: "Listen, you know I'm not patient at all, but I'm trying. Take it as you like, but I think you're acting pathetic and whiny."

"I know." David muttered.

"You know? And what are you doing then? Get a grip! Show that you're a man!"

"What do you want me to do? I told you I don't even know how I feel anymore!"

"Well, it's true that life's as complicated as shit, but you could make an effort."

David didn't answer. He angrily put his fork down. "Why are you here then?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you can't stand me, why do you bother making the _effort_ to be with me?"

"I don't know…" Ethan replied in a small voice. "Maybe because you have a nice arse?" he added in a more playful tone.

David couldn't help but laugh. _Good old Ethan._

"Even though you don't let me touch it…" Ethan teased him.

"Liar. You've already touched it." The young boy was actually surprised by how he managed to talk about that without blushing. He realized that he was slowly starting to get used to Ethan's company.

"Oh, yeah, that's right! We should to it again then!"

"Ethan, is sex the only thing on your mind?" David asked, exasperated.

"Maybe."

David rolled his eyes.

"Oh, well, _excuse_ _me_ for liking it! But you can't complain, I'm waiting, I haven't raped you or anything…" Ethan said, trying to sound funny.

But David didn't find it funny. He twitched uncomfortably, a wince on his face.

"I'm sorry." Ethan quickly mumbled. "I shouldn't have said that."

David got up abruptly. After hesitating for a moment, he said to Ethan: "Take it as you like, but I think that you're not trying enough. And I want you to give me some time to think about… whatever we have." And then he turned his back to him and left.

"Ugh! David!" he heard Ethan exclaim in an exasperated tone.

* * *

><p><em>There's nothing else to lose<em>

_There's nothing else to find_

_There's nothing in the world_

_That can change my mind_

_There is nothing else_

_There is nothing else_

_There is nothing else_

* * *

><p><em><span>Next chapter:<span>__ Al and Scorp's date. Oh, and Ethan tries to get David back;)_

_PS:__ Thanks to whoever left the anonymous review entitled "YaY", and the one from "Chichi":P_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter XVII**

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:_

_1) I have that bad habit of seeing everything in my head like a movie and thus forgetting that the readers can't know all the little details that I imagine… So, for those who wanted to know what Scorpius told Albus during the breakfast scene in the previous chapter, when he first saw where Albus was looking at, he said "I told you so" (that's why Al frowned), and then he said "Come on, Al, don't make that face; think of our date!", squeezing his hand (Albus blushed etc…)._

_I don't know if it actually interested anyone haha. _

_2) Also, thanks for your reviews and favourites. Since some reviews were anonymous, I'll answer here._

_**Djavolia**__: omg thanks a lot! I definitely will!_

_**Jenna**__: Who tops, eh? You'll see… ;) (I can only tell you that his name ends with "s"… LOL:P) _

_**Crazy-Lil-Yume-Chan**_: _awww thank you so much! After reading your review I was smiling like an idiot for more than a minute^^._

_PS:__ And I'm terribly sorry for taking so long to update. I had no inspiration at all __ I hope you'll like this chapter and won't find it too deceiving…_

* * *

><p>Albus had slept wonderfully. Being wrapped in Scorpius' arms, overwhelmed by his captivating scent, was the most amazing way to fall asleep. He couldn't imagine not spending every moment with him from now on… Scorpius had woken him up with a kiss on the corner of his mouth. Now he couldn't wait for their very first date. Just after finishing breakfast, Albus rushed to the bathroom, to try to tame his wild messy hair. It was ineffective.<p>

_Stupid Potter hair…_

But Albus didn't let his disappointment take over. He changed into muggle clothes with a bit too much enthusiasm, nearly making him fall over his night table.

"Al, are you alright?" he heard Scorpius ask from the other side of the curtains.

"Y-yes." Albus mumbled rubbing his foot.

He tied his sneakers and passed his head between the dark green curtains of his bed.

"I'm re-" the dark-haired stood there staring at Scorpius, his open mouth open in awe.

"What?" the other boy asked anxiously.

"You look… _stunning_." Albus muttered.

Scorpius' cheeks coloured faintly. "You make me feel really self conscious about my own appearance now…" Albus added.

Scorpius was wearing a pair of black skin tight jeans, a very light blue shirt that brought out the slight blue of his eyes, and a black leather belt with a silver snake as a belt clasp—probably his father's. His sleek blond hair was styled in a just-woken-up way that made him look even sexier than he already did. As for Albus, he was simply wearing an old worn out pair of jeans—his favourite one—and an oversized grey T-shirt. He never cared about clothes, but right now he felt really bad dressed.

"Nah, you look adorable." Scorpius said and placed a peck on Albus' freckled cheek. "You always do."

Albus lowered his gaze and grinned shyly. "By the way, are we going to… keep this a secret?" he asked in an uncertain voice.

"Why are you asking?"

"Well, you know, there's my brother, my uncle… and your _father_…"

"What do _you_ want to do?"

"I don't know… I… I'd like people to know actually… and my dad is very understanding, but if it could be a problem for you…"

"It's true that my father won't be thrilled _at all_. His only son _gay_… and with a _Potter_!" Scorpius said with a light laugh.

"So? What's your decision?" the dark-haired boy asked anxiously.

"We'll see…" Scorpius replied, making Albus feel a little disappointed.

"Come on, let's go now." the blond boy said, not seeming bothered by the situation, which Albus found quite curious.

* * *

><p>David went outside to breathe some fresh air and think. He sat under a tree of the park, feeling extremely lonely.<p>

He liked Ethan. He liked him a lot more than he would have ever expected. But every time that boy opened his mouth… He could be so unbearable at times! David sighed and rested his head against the trunk. He closed his eyes and couldn't help but picture Albus and Malfoy happily spending time together. David tried to brush that thought away. The image of a young man with black hair and piercing dark blue eyes popped up in his mind.

_Dylan Harris._

Anger and hatred came over him, and he cursed himself for thinking of him. Just when he decided to return to the Castle, David heard the sound of flapping wings. He turned to see where it was coming from. A big eagle owl had landed near him. The bird was looking straight at him with its huge yellow eyes. David held out his hand. The owl didn't stir. The young boy sighed and approached the owl on his knees. He tried to catch the owl but it jerked back, snapping its beak aggressively.

_Motherfucking bird!_

"Fine. What do you want?" he asked stupidly.

The owl gave him a very unfriendly look and eventually held out a claw, with what seemed like an air of superiority.

'_Reminds me of someone…_

David carefully detached the piece of parchment—he didn't want to be bitten by the stupid thing. He had never liked owls; it was the reason why he didn't have one. He opened the letter and started reading it.

_David__,_

_I don't even know what to start with. You know apologies aren't my thing. This is quite humiliating in fact. Well, __**very**__… Writing a letter to you… pfff, how pathetic and muggle-like! But I didn't think you would listen to me… Anyway, you asked me why I stay with you despite the fact that you can be the most annoying person on Earth when you act all stubborn. I actually know the answer. It's because you make me want to be a better person. The proof is that I still haven't ripped up this parchment and thrown it away, no, destroyed it, so that no one would ever know how far I've lowered myself to be doing this. Right now I feel more ashamed than I would if I had been sorted into Hufflepuff. Well, not really. It could be worse… I could be kneeling down in front of you with a flower or some other shit, begging for your forgiveness. Only the thought of it makes me want to puke. But I'm rambling like a dumb school girl, aren't I? At least I hope this ridiculous act will turn out to be worth it. You know, I might not even send it; it will be a damaging blow to my pride…_

_Find me on the Quidditch pitch as soon as you read this._

_E.W._

_PS: My owl is a little fussy… Reminds me of someone…_

David shook his head in disbelief. He didn't exactly know why but he thought the letter was hilarious. Ethan was so shallow! It was supposed to be an apology letter and there wasn't even the word 'sorry' in it. David still appreciated it though. It was very Ethan-like. It would have sounded fake if it had been perfectly written. David noticed that the other boy's neat handwriting was actually pleasant. He looked at his name again. It looked pretty that way. David sighed once more and got up. He looked for Ethan's owl but he was completely alone.

* * *

><p>Albus and Scorpius reached the hallway leading to the Great Hall. It was crowded, just like on any other Saturday morning. The blond boy smiled to himself and looked at Albus from the corner of his eye. Scorpius started walking closer to the boy beside him, then took his hand. The dark-haired boy looked up at him, his big green eyes questioning him. Scorpius winked at him and continued walking proudly, holding his boyfriend's hand as if it were the most precious thing he ever possessed. They could hear some people gasp, some other giggle, and some say mean comments that made Scorpius hold Albus' smaller hand tighter. The shorter boy didn't look affected by anything though, on the contrary, he looked truly happy. Scorpius felt his chest warm up. As they stepped outside, he put an arm around Albus' shoulders, grinning broadly.<p>

* * *

><p>David reached the Quidditch pitch. He saw someone sitting on the other side of it. It was incredible how <em>enormous<em> the pitch seemed even though it was empty. He slowly walked towards the other boy. David stopped a few feet away from Ethan. The blond hadn't noticed him as his head was resting on his knees, arm wrapped around them. David cleared his throat. Ethan abruptly looked up.

"Oh, you came, at last." he said. He then tilted his head to the side and smirked.

"Um, yeah…" David muttered, feeling uncomfortable. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. After a long awkward silence, he added: "You know, your letter made me laugh."

Ethan raised an eyebrow at him. He didn't seem to appreciate what David had just said.

"I liked it." The shorter boy mumbled quickly.

Ethan relaxed a bit. "And?"

"Apology accepted."

There was another silence. David was the one to break it: "So, er, why are we here?"

"You don't like Quidditch, right?" Ethan asked.

"Right."

"Has anyone ever explained the rules to you?"

"Yes. Sort of… Al- erm, Potter tried to."

Ethan gave him a questioning look.

"I stopped paying attention halfway through. It sounded quite boring, honestly." David said.

"Have you ever mounted a broom?"

"No."

The look on Ethan's face was incredibly funny, David thought.

"_Never_? Where the hell do you live?"

Silence.

"Flying feels incredible. The speed, the wind on your face, the rush of adrenaline… it's like pure freedom. It's a pity that you've never experienced it."

"If you like it that much, why… why aren't you on the Slytherin Quidditch team?" David asked hesitantly.

Ethan's expression hardened. He looked far away, thoughtful. David patiently waited for an answer. The other boy remained silent though. David sat next to him and put a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "Ethan?"

Ethan grunted but eventually spoke.

"I would have, if I didn't have that bloody accident in second year. Well, 'accident'… That's what everyone believed it was."

"What do you mean?"

"I wanted to be one of the Beaters. There was only one place available, and another boy wanted it too. It was almost sure that I would be chosen, so he decided to boost his luck. He hexed me while I was on my broom. I fell and broke some bones so I couldn't compete anymore. He had done it in such a way that it looked like I accidently lost control of my broom… that bastard! I never got the chance to try to join the team again since all the positions are already taken."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." David said softly, patting Ethan's arm.

"Anyway, let's go get some brooms." Ethan said and stood up.

"Huh? What for?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Because I'm going to teach you how to fly, you idiot!"

"What? No! I mean I don't… I…"

"Don't tell me you're _scared_?"

"No, of course not!" David exclaimed, even though it was a lie.

"Perfect. Come on, then!"

* * *

><p>"You're right. It's too crowded, let's go." Albus said as soon as he finished drinking his butterbeer.<p>

Scorpius didn't like noisy, crowded, places. It tired him and gave him headaches. He felt a wave of relief when Albus agreed to leave without looking bothered. He didn't want him to think that his company was boring or something insane like that. The blond boy opened the door for Albus and they left The Three Broomsticks, hand in hand.

They were heading to the book store when the dark-haired boy heard a familiar voice.

"ALBUS?"

Albus felt his heart make a jump. He hesitantly turned to face his brother.

"J-James?" he stammered.

James seemed utterly shocked, almost horrified. He was staring at their clasped hands with round eyes. He slowly looked up at them. The older boy was actually only looking at Scorpius, an expression of disgust on his face.

"_You_…" James started to say, stepping closer. Albus instinctively clung to Scorpius. His brother noticed it and turned his gaze towards him.

"How could you? Aren't you ashamed of yourself at all?" he asked the shorter boy, his voice filled with disdain.

"W-Why? Because I'm gay? Is it so important to you?"

"Albus, I don't care if you fancy blokes. I don't give a flying fuck about it. But _him_? Out of everyone, you chose _him_? _Malfoy_?"

"He has the right to be with whomever he wants." Scorpius calmly said.

"Shut up! I didn't ask for your opinion! And don't you dare talk about rights! You or your family of Death Eaters!" James spat.

Albus felt the boy beside him tense. He knew that James had hit a weak spot.

"I will not allow you to insult my family." Scorpius hissed through his clenched teeth.

"But it's the truth, and you know it! All of them! They worked for the man who wanted our dad dead!" James hissed back.

"They have changed. And since you want to talk about the past, shall I remind you that my grandmother saved your father by lying to the Dark Lord?"

"That's the only thing people like you say! _We have changed_." James mimicked in a ridiculous voice. "That's bullshit! And, please, don't make me start about your grandmother! She only did what she did for her own benefit! Just like all the filthy Slytherins!"

Albus' mouth opened in bewilderment and the blond boy was trembling in rage.

"And stop looking at me like that!" his older brother ordered him.

"Listen, this is ridiculous." Scorpius said, trying to calm down. "What happened twenty four years ago shouldn't be an obstacle to our relationship. I want to be with him, and there's nothing wrong with it. So get over it." he added coldly.

"_Nothing wrong_? _NOTHING WRONG_? Are you fucking kidding me? You're a traitor! An arrogant pussy that can't even admit he's wrong!" James yelled. "Albus, keep your mouth shut!"

Scorpius sneered. "Technically, _your_ family betrayed the Wizarding World by supporting Muggle-borns! And, _please_, look who acts more stubborn than a mule!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Albus shouted.

"Alright. As you wish, Al. Let's see what Dad will say about it."

"He won't say anything. I'm happy with Scorpius. That's what a parent wants, right? Their child to find someone that makes them happy…"

James narrowed his eyes. "How can you be so sure, eh?"

Albus twitched but didn't blink. Scorpius held him more firmly.

"Piss off." the blond boy said to the older one.

James glared at him. "Don't tell me what to do! He's my _brother_!"

"Your _brother's_ private life is none of your business!"

"Of course it is! But _you _can't understand that, you don't have any siblings!"

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Scorpius asked.

"Let me get this straight. _You_ are fucking _my_ little brother and _I_ can't accept it! I didn't like the fact that you were friends, but this is too much!"

Scorpius sighed, exasperated. "You are talking about Albus as if he was your property."

"Oh, you sure would know a lot about people being the property of others, wouldn't you?" James scoffed. "I mean, your father…"

But James didn't have the time to finish his sentence. Scorpius threw himself on him, and pinned him on the wall.

"No! Scorpius!" Albus cried.

"Get your hands off of me!" James shouted.

The blond boy held him firmly by the collar of his shirt. "Don't. Ever. Mention. My. Father. Again."

James seemed about to say something, but in the end he simply gave him a murderous look. Scorpius finally let him go, much to Albus' relief.

"Let's go." the blond boy said. Albus hesitated for a moment. "Go." his brother said. "But you can be sure that we'll talk about this again."

The dark-haired boy gulped and silently followed his boyfriend.

"Al, relax." Scorpius told him some time later, caressing his back. Albus sighed deeply. Scorpius held up his chin, and as they locked gazes, he leaned in and kissed him sweetly. When their lips parted, Albus hugged the other boy tightly.

"I'm sorry." he whispered. "I wish he hadn't reacted like that."

"Shush. It's not your fault; you don't have to apologize." Scorpius answered softly, and then took his hand and led him to the book store, at the corner of the street.

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:__ First of all, thanks to __**InMyOwnSpecialWay**__ for suggesting Albus stumbling upon one of his family's members at Hogsmeade. It was supposed to be funny, but it turned out a bit differently… I hope you still liked it._

_Secondly, this chapter should have been longer, but I didn't know when I would be able to finish writing it (I have some important exams next week), so I will write the rest in the next one. But, you know, this chapter is actually longer that most of the previous ones…_

_Also, again, I'm sorry for having kept you waiting for so long. Thanks for your patience. There are only two chapters left, I think, but I can't tell you when they'll be up… I promise you I'll try my best._

_(by the way, you have no idea how excited I was when I finally wrote the word 'boyfriends'...)_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter XVIII**

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:__ Thanks for the reviews, faves, and alerts:)__ I hope you'll like this one!_

_The lyrics are taken from the song "Give you back", by the band Vertical Horizon. No copyright intended. _

_**Warning:**__ this chapter is rated __**NC-17**__. The entire thing is basically pwp (except for a David/Ethan part), so don't feel obliged to read it if you're not into that._

* * *

><p>After buying a ton of books — or at least that was the impression Albus got — Scorpius asked Albus what would he like to do.<p>

"I don't know…" the dark-haired boy said. "Maybe we should get back to Hogwarts. I mean, with all the things you got, you'll get tired carrying them around."

"Oh, Al." Scorpius chuckled. "It's not _that_ much. And I'm not that weak, stop offering me your help all the time."

Albus shrugged, feeling offended. He turned his back to Scorpius and started walking. He heard the other boy sigh. What a nice day, Albus thought bitterly. He continued walking, waiting for Scorpius to stop him. Because he would, wouldn't he? Albus stopped and looked back. The small alley was empty. The dark-haired boy felt his heart sink. Where was Scorpius? He looked around anxiously. No one in sight. Albus felt the panic slowly come over him. Scorpius had left him alone.

_But…_

Suddenly, someone grabbed him from behind, laughing loudly. A wave of relief overwhelmed Albus as he recognized the voice. He abruptly freed himself and turned to face the blond boy.

"Hey! Don't ever do that again!"

Scorpius was still laughing. "You should have seen your face!"

"Fuck you! It wasn't funny!" Albus exclaimed.

The taller boy tried to hug him, but Albus pushed him away.

"Aw, Al, come on. Did you really think I'd leave?"

The dark-haired boy pouted and looked away. Scorpius laughed once again. "Silly you" he said and pulled Albus closer. Albus didn't stir.

"Oh, I see. Alby is going to sulk… Alright." Scorpius said and brushed his fingertips against Albus' cheek. "I think I know how to change that." he added in a whisper and smirked, walking around him. Albus tensed. After five seconds that seemed like hours to him, Albus felt Scorpius' lips on his nape. He shivered lightly. Scorpius trailed small kisses from the base of his neck to his ear, and from his ear to his chin. Albus forced himself not to moan.

"Am I forgiven yet?" Scorpius asked.

"No." was all that the dark-haired boy managed to say. His breathing had become uneven. He felt Scorpius' lips curl up in a smirk, his breath tickling Albus' skin, causing him goose bumps. Scorpius started kissing him again all along his jaw line. This time Albus moaned and closed his eyes, drunk by the sensation.

"What about now?" the blond boy asked in a low voice.

"Yes." Albus breathed.

"Good boy." Scorpius said and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist. He licked Albus' lower lip, and then bit it softly. Albus slid his hands into Scorpius' sleek hair and parted his lips, welcoming the other boy's eager tongue. He pressed his body against Scorpius'. When he felt how aroused the other boy was, Albus' heart rate sped up. Scorpius stepped forward, encouraging Albus to step back, until his back met the wall behind him, their lips never parting. The kiss was rough and hungry, interrupted by some faint whimpers and grunts. Scorpius' hands wandered a bit too far for Albus' taste. Breathless, he broke the kiss.

"S-Scorp, we're in the m-middle of a street."

"I don't care." Scorpius replied in a husky voice that made Albus' pants feel even tighter. "Besides, the street's empty from what I see."

Albus couldn't help a tiny smile. The blond boy leaned in and whispered in his ear: "I want you so badly." Albus' breath hitched. He felt his face burn. _Oh Merlin_. He wanted him too. He wanted him right now. _Desperately_. Albus bit his lip and inhaled deeply through his nose, trying to calm down.

"Stop biting your lip, you have no idea how much it turns me on. And I don't think I need to be turned on any more." he muttered, a finger on Albus' lower lip, and then pressed their hips together, making sure the other boy got the message. Albus let his head rest against the wall, his chest heaving. Scorpius took this opportunity to lick his neck. The shorter boy moaned, closed his eyes again, and held Scorpius tighter. Scorpius placed his leg between Albus'. The dark-haired boy unconsciously started rubbing himself against Scorpius' thigh. The taller boy soon imitated him. They both groaned in pleasure as they held onto each other more firmly. Albus' knees felt so weak that the young boy was grateful there were the stones of the wall to support him. He knew he couldn't last for much longer. Scorpius either, judging by the way he was slightly trembling, his breathing rushed, clinging fiercely onto him. After a few more hurried thrusts, they finally came. They stood there, still, for a long moment, panting, trying to regain their thoughts, and process what had just happened. Albus had the impression that his head was spinning. It had felt _incredible_. And there hadn't even been skin contact… Only at the thought of what _that_ would be like, Albus felt himself harden again. He licked his lips and gulped.

"Maybe… Maybe we should get back to the Castle." Albus said, his right hand on Scorpius' chest, gently pushing him away.

"Yeah…" Scorpius agreed, before casting a cleaning spell. Then, he picked up the bags from the ground and took Albus' hand into his, a crooked smile across his flushed face, eyes shining.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p><em>I need to know if you were real<em>

'_Cause I've been known to get it wrong_

_When the memory comes_

_I'll say I'm always in the dark_

_You got me now_

* * *

><p>David was laughing heartily, lying on the grass, Ethan by his side.<p>

"That was frickin' wicked!" David eventually exclaimed in a thrilled tone.

"I told you it was the most exhilarating feeling in the World!" Ethan chuckled. "I still can't believe you've missed that for so many years! But better late than never, right?" he scoffed.

David grinned. Flying was indeed amazing. It felt exactly like Ethan had described it. It was mind blowing. He hadn't succeeded riding a broomstick on his own without risking a fall at any moment, so in the end Ethan told him to sit behind him, to show him 'how pros do it', as he had cheekily stated. And indeed, Ethan knew how to fly. Incredibly well. It was unbelievable how they had managed not to crash, with all the twirls Ethan did. He was so sure of himself. There wasn't the slightest moment where he seemed to lose control of his broom. David admired that. He even felt a little jealous of his ability. Only a teeny tiny little bit…

"You fly really well." David said after a short silence.

"Of course I do."

David elbowed him, stifling a laugh. "Modesty isn't your thing, is it?"

Ethan snickered. "Why should it be?"

David rolled his eyes but his smile didn't fade. He turned to rest on his side, facing the blond boy. Ethan was gazing at the clear sky, a satisfied expression on his face.

"You know, maybe I should start practicing again… You never know what awaits you. And I've missed flying too much. You might find it funny, but since I was a kid, my dream was to become a professional Quidditch player." he said, still gazing far away. "You could watch me, or even better, if you ever manage to use a broomstick correctly, we could practice together so that I can improve—not that you'll ever be as good as me." Ethan added with so much enthusiasm that David felt his chest tighten, feeling sorry for him, that his dreams had been crushed so easily by a stupid, overly selfish, teenager.

"I'm sure one day you'll get where you want." David whispered softly.

The other boy turned his face towards him. For once, his greenish eyes looked kind. "Thank you."

David smiled from ear to ear and slid next to him. "What would _you_ like to do in the future?" Ethan asked him.

"I actually have no idea…" David answered. "But I know perfectly well what I want to do _now_." he said and pressed their lips together. Ethan wrapped his arms around the other boy, pulling David on top of him, kissing him back greedily.

"I like you a lot." David muttered while Ethan's mouth was busy with his earlobe.

"I thought you hated me." Ethan teased him.

"Ah, believe me, the feelings are mixed."

"Oh, really?"

"Really." David said with a cheeky grin.

Ethan narrowed his eyes, a playful smirk on his face. Their lips met again, Ethan rolling over him, so that David is beneath him. The brown-haired boy gave him a defiant look. His blue eyes sparkled mischievously. He rolled over Ethan.

"So that's how it is, eh?" Ethan asked and made the other boy tip over once more.

And so on, until their stomachs hurt too much from laughter.

* * *

><p><em>I want to give you back<em>

_I want to give you back_

_Somewhere out of here_

_I want to give you_

_I want to give you_

_I want to give you back_

* * *

><p>When Albus heard the water stop flowing, he sneaked into the bathroom. Some moments later, Scorpius got out of the shower. He only had a towel tied around his slender hips. Albus took his time to contemplate the view. Scorpius hadn't seen him; he was combing his wet hair, his muscles flexing in a delicious way. The dark-haired boy couldn't tear his gaze away. He felt his cheeks get hot as he drooled over Scorpius' back, shoulders, biceps, and abs. His eyes followed the thin line of blond hairs that covered Scorpius' abdomen that were getting denser and darker as they extended lower.<p>

_Sweet Merlin._ _He's so hot_; Albus thought and felt a wave of heat pass through him. He silently approached him and went to stand behind the taller boy. Scorpius froze. He had seen him in the mirror. _Obviously_. Albus put his hands on Scorpius' bare skin. He started to slowly caress the other boy's back, in what he wanted to be a sensual way. Albus was sure his moves were clumsy, but Scorpius seemed to enjoy it. Scorpius' skin was still humid. Albus saw some water drops run down his spine. His mouth went dry. He looked at Scorpius through the glass. The blond boy's grey eyes looked almost black, and when Albus caught his own reflexion, he was surprised to see how much his own pupils were dilated with lust.

Albus leaned in and licked off the small drops of his boyfriend's skin. He could feel Scorpius' heart beat faster. He then softly stroked Scorpius' nape, his shoulders, and his lower back, only touching the silky skin with his fingertips. The blond boy never stirred, but the way his lips were parted and his eyes half closed made Albus feel more confident about his actions. Albus placed his hands on Scorpius' hips. The taller boy tensed. He looked at Albus' face in the mirror. His green eyes were a little higher than shoulder height. They were dark, greedy, and almost uncomfortably piercing. Scorpius could read in them what the young boy wanted. His body knew it too, considering how quickly and intensely it was reacting. Scorpius let out a deep breath. Albus slid his hands up to Scorpius' chest and placed a peck on one of his shoulder blades. The blond boy had the impression that his entire body was on fire. Albus tucked his fingers into the fringe of the towel. Scorpius shuddered. He couldn't take it any more. He turned abruptly, and with a swift movement, he lifted Albus up onto the sink. Scorpius crushed their lips together, quite aggressively. The dark-haired boy was soon gasping for air, his fingers tangled in Scorpius' blonde locks.

Albus tightened his legs around Scorpius. The blond boy made a purring noise down in his throat. Albus straightened himself slightly, just enough to fill the space between their heated bodies. He wanted to feel every inch of Scorpius.

But it wasn't enough. He _needed_ to feel his skin against his, no clothing in the way.

"Bed." Albus whispered in Scorpius' ear in a hoarse voice.

"Mmph, oh, yes." Scorpius groaned and pulled Albus up, one arm around the shorter boy's waist and one under his bum. He rushed to other room, holding Albus tightly against his chest, while Albus was nibbling his neck. When they finally reached Scorpius' bed, the blond boy threw Albus on the bed, before falling over him. Albus moaned loudly, his lungs emptied under the weight of the other boy. Scorpius sat up, and Albus immediately missed the warmth of his body. The blond boy casted a few privacy spells around them. Luckily, given the time, the dormitory was empty at the moment.

Albus got up on his elbows. The towel around Scorpius' hips slipped.

_Oh God._

The dark-haired boy was well aware that his eyes were glued on Scorpius' nudity, but he couldn't help it. The sight was mouth-watering. When he finally raised his gaze, he saw an amused expression on Scorpius' face. Then, suddenly, Albus was overwhelmed by a mixed feeling of anxiety and fear. What would Scorpius think of _his_ body? He was rather skinny, with freckles everywhere. Scorpius saw the worry in his eyes.

"What's wrong? Did you… did you change your mind?" he asked.

Albus shook his head frantically, unable to speak.

"Al?" the blond boy insisted.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Trust me." Albus mumbled quickly.

Scorpius raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He seemed to hesitate for a moment. Eventually, he leaned in and kissed the boy beneath him slowly, giving him the time to stop him in case he didn't want it. Albus pulled him closer and kissed him full mouth. Scorpius slid his hands under Albus' T-shirt, stroking his stomach, before helping him taking it off. Then, Scorpius sat astride Albus' thighs, bent over the other and started placing wet kisses all over his torso. When his mouth reached the hem of Albus' shorts, Scorpius licked his way up to the dark-haired boy's collarbones. Albus' moans were making Scorpius painfully hard — not that he wasn't hard enough already.

Scorpius lowered his head again and licked one of Albus' nipples, then sucked it lightly. Albus gasped and clung to the sheets. Scorpius straightened up, putting his hands on either side of Albus' shorts. Their eyes met, Scorpius' grey ones asking for permission. The dark-haired boy nodded, holding his breath in. Scorpius sat next to Albus and carefully pulled down the last piece of clothing. His mouth curled up in a crooked smile. He sat astride him once again, but this time lower. He bent and… and Albus felt his heart stop.

_OH MY GOODNESS_.

Scorpius ran his tongue along the length of Albus' erection and then began to suck on the head of Albus' prick. The dark-haired boy withheld a cry. His fingers were gripping the other boy's hair so firmly that Albus was pretty sure he was hurting him. He crossed his legs behind Scorpius' back, closing the distance between them, encouraging the blond boy to take all of him in his mouth.

"Oh, fuck yes." Albus groaned.

A weird noise escaped from Scorpius' mouth; it had sounded like a strangled laugh. And Albus didn't know why, but he had the sudden urge to laugh too. He bit his lip, making an effort to hold it in. Scorpius raised his head and looked straight into his boyfriend's eyes. Albus' need to laugh vanished immediately. He stared at Scorpius' lips. They were red, swollen, and shining with pre-cum. Albus swallowed with difficulty. He uncrossed his ankles and grabbed Scorpius' hips, pulling him closer, slightly parting his legs more. The move was subtle, yet undeniably clear.

"Please." Albus begged.

Scorpius got up and took the tube of lube out of his night table's drawer. Then he turned to face Albus. They silently stared at each other for a long, meaningful, moment. Then, at last, the blond boy went back onto the bed. He lay beside the other boy and kissed him dearly, before telling Albus to turn and lie on his belly. The dark-haired boy obeyed without a second though. He heard a ruffle and then Scorpius' hands were pushing his thighs apart. Albus shivered with anticipation. But instead of feeling the other boy's fingers inside of him, he felt those fingers pulling his butt cheeks apart, before feeling something soft, warm and…_wet_ teasing his arsehole. _Sweet mother of God_. It was Scorpius' tongue, which was currently pushing its way through him. Albus thought he'd come only at the realization of what was going on. He arched his back, lifting his hips, asking for more. Scorpius withdrew his tongue. Albus heard a squeezing sound. And then, finally, Scorpius introduced a long finger into Albus' tight hole. The dark-haired boy felt his ring muscles contract.

"Relax." Scorpius said in a soft tone. He caressed Albus' back with his free hand. When Albus seemed relaxed enough, Scorpius added another finger. Albus let out a small cry. The blond boy tensed.

"Al, do you want me to stop?"

"N-no. Move. Move them." Albus whimpered, eyes shut.

Scorpius did as he was told. He carefully pushed his fingers further, then withdrew them slowly, making Albus moan in encouragement. He repeated the motion a couple of times, before it was impossible for him to refrain any more.

"A-Albus, I can't… I…"

"Go on. I… I think I'm ready."

"Okay. Turn over again."

Albus followed his orders but gave the other boy a questioning look. "I want to be able to see you." Scorpius explained. The dark-haired boy grinned faintly, biting his lip. Scorpius stroked Albus' lips with a warm smile on his face. Then, he applied a generous amount of lube along his cock. He got to his knees and lifted up Albus' legs and put them on his shoulders.

"Ready?"

"Yes; just do it already!"

Scorpius chuckled and leaned in to kiss Albus' forehead. "If I hurt you, stop me immediately." Albus nodded hastily. Scorpius closed the space between them and, delicately but surely, slid inside of his lover. Albus whimpered, tearing up. He had seen that Scorpius was big, but it was different when he was actually penetrating him.

"No! Don't stop!" Albus pleaded when he felt Scorpius tense. "I'm alright." he added, to convince the other boy—and maybe himself too. Scorpius sighed and gave him a nod. Albus felt guilty and grateful at the same time. Guilty for torturing Scorpius, and grateful for having such a caring and patient boyfriend. Albus forced himself to ease up. Scorpius began to move again. When he was completely in Albus, he remained motionless for a little, giving the other boy time to get used to the new sensation. As soon as the pain faded away enough, Albus slightly wiggled his hips, giving Scorpius the green light. Scorpius lay on top of him, the dark-haired boy's legs around his waist, and intertwined their fingers on both sides of Albus, above his shoulders. They started thrusting their hips together rhythmically. At some point, Scorpius hit Albus' prostate.

"Oh, Scorp!" Albus exclaimed between two high-pitched moans. It felt so good and intense that the dark-haired boy thought he had died and went to heaven. It was far better than what he had imagined.

"Faster." he breathed, and Scorpius finally permitted himself move freely, at the pace he wanted. Albus held him tightly, his nails scratching Scorpius' burning skin. The blond was moving in such a way that his stomach was stroking the other boy's erection at every thrust. Albus felt about to cry of happiness. Scorpius' body had started to shake. He made their mouths meet into a hot, passionate kiss before violently thrusting one last time. Albus arched his back so much it hurt as they both cried out in pleasure.

Scorpius, exhausted, let his whole weight be supported by the boy beneath him, crushing Albus against the mattress. The dark-haired boy didn't complain, on the contrary, he liked it a lot. He wrapped his arms around Scorpius, fully enjoying this very moment. He could feel sweat trickling, their breathing heavy. A few moments later, Scorpius lifted himself on his elbows. A rush of cold air passed between them. The blond boy lowered himself a bit, so that their chests touched. He gently stroked Albus' cheek, smiling.

"Albus…" he muttered before brushing his lips against the other boy's. "I love you."

The dark-haired boy's heart jumped. "I love you too." Albus said after a short silence, his cheeks turning red.

Scorpius' face lit up, giving his boyfriend a breathtaking smile. He rested his head on the crook of Albus' shoulder, closing his eyes. Albus put his hand on the blond boy's nape. He closed his eyes too; a feeling of serenity taking over him, with the certainty that, whatever happened, he would never regret what they shared together. Because it was real, as real as they hearts beating harmoniously together.

* * *

><p><em>I can't remember how it went<em>

_You looked like everything I wanted_

_And as you came along_

_Slowly everything began to change_

_I got you now_

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:__**READ ME!**_

_So, that was the last 'normal' chapter. There's only the epilogue left. Let me know what you thought of it:)_

_(And just so you know, my tumblr is blueberry-love[dot]tumblr[dot]com)_

_I'll probably not have internet for the next two weeks, so if you see that I don't reply to your messages, don't think I'm ignoring you. (and I don't know when the next update will be) (edit: I actually am at a hotel right now, and the internet kinda sucks... what I said still counts:( )_

_(Now you can stop reading if I'm boring you. It will just be me rambling. As usual *cough*)_

_About the smut scene now (yep, I cannot NOT talk about it LOL), it was the first time I wrote something similar, so don't be too harsh n.n I tried to make it as long as I could (due to personal preferences *cough again*), but in the end I ran out of ideas. Besides, it was already quite unrealistic for a first time… (not that I would know… okay, TMI). I also hope it wasn't too vulgar..._

_Also, for those who would be interested about it, I won't write any other Ethan/David part — at least not a long one — so if you're curious (because I'm sure I'm not the only perv on this planet. RIGHT?), in my headcanon, Ethan would be most likely the seme, that's what he has always been, but maybe he could make an exception for David, since he knows what he went through. At least at the beginning.;)) Albus, obviously, is definitely a uke LOL, and will probably always be. Even though, depending on the way the characters are described in other fics, I can change my mind about that._

_Last thing, in case all those height comparisons are confusing you, you should know that Albus is the shortest one, Ethan the taller one, and Scorpius and David are almost the same height (Scorpius slightly taller). Also, Scorpius and Ethan are the most fit (I'm talking about muscles, not overall attractiveness), David is in the middle (lmao?) and Albus simply isn't. (that poor boy)_

_Okay, that's it. If anyone read the entire thing, kudos. Here's a cookie for you. :__3_


	19. Epilogue

_**Disclaimer: **__Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes._

**Becoming**** of a friendship**

**Chapter XIX: Epilogue**

_Two months later._

"Sounds like fun!" Albus said and smiled kindly.

"Yeah… we'll see. To be honest, I'm sure it will be something boring… I mean, it's my mum's idea, you know, but if it makes her happy…" the brown-haired boy said.

"Aw, that wasn't very nice of you." Albus laughed. "Spending Christmas with your family is always nice, whatever you do."

"Ugh, trust me, it depends." David said. "My family isn't like yours. There's nothing lovely about it. You have a sane mum, an awesome dad, and siblings that care about you a lot. I have almost absolutely nothing."

"Um, well, maybe seeing your grandma again after all this time will make things better between you and your mum. And… think about her too… Her husband mistreated her, abandoning her with a newborn, while her own mother had completely forgotten about her… I'm sure it was really tough for her, so if sometimes she has those anger crises…" Albus explained hesitantly.

"Yeah, I guess so; she went through quite a lot…" David said. _I wasn't the best kid to have either_, he added to himself, frowning. He hadn't mentioned anything to the other boy about it though, so he remained silent.

"And you know she loves you more than anything, don't you? You're the only dear person left to her…" Albus said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

David kept avoiding Albus' gaze. It wasn't a conversation he'd like to pursue. Especially with Albus, who'd never completely understand it. Besides, he still felt awkward being in his company.

They were friends again, thanks to — or should he say 'because of' — Malfoy. About a month ago, Malfoy had a little 'talk' with him. Actually, he had bluntly threatened him that if he kept rejecting Albus' friendship, he would "highly regret it". It's not that he didn't want to, no, he missed him, but things had gotten complicated lately…

"So, what are _you_ doing during the holidays? The usual Potters-Weasleys reunion?" David asked, trying to change the subject.

To his surprise, the dark-haired boy blushed furiously and looked away. What was the matter with him?

"Albus?" David asked, seeing that the other boy wasn't answering.

"Um, I… I will stay here." Albus mumbled, still staring attentively at the library's bookshelves.

"What?" David was incredulous. "But… aren't you the one saying over and over again that there's nothing better than going back home for Christmas?"

"I know, I know, I do, but… er, it's different this year…"

David gave him a questioning look—that Albus didn't see, since he was stubbornly not looking at him. "What do you mean?"

"Scorpius and I decided to spend Christmas together, here." Albus eventually blurted out.

"Oh."

_OH._

David clenched his fists under the table, far more mad at himself for letting jealousy overpower him than for anything else.

"By the way, what is Ethan going to do?" Albus asked, meeting his gaze at last.

"Huh? Oh, erm, he's going to stay at his parents' manor, going from party to party. You know, rich, powerful people's traditions… or 'duties' if you prefer."

"Ah, I see. Is he enjoying it at least?"

David shrugged. "Enough for it to be bearable."

"Will you see each other? I mean, er, during the Christmas break."

"I don't think so." David replied coldly. Albus' overly casual tone and interest was starting to get on his nerves. It seemed too fake and superficial, almost hypocritical. "Listen, you don't have to pretend to care if you don't. I don't need your pity." he abruptly told him.

Albus gave him a scandalized look. "Excuse me? What are you talking about? Of course I do! And it's not because I pity you! I truly want to hear that everything's going fine for you."

"Then you have to understand that I don't want to talk about that with you." David firmly stated, looking straight into the other boy's big green eyes.

"I-I'm sorry. I was just trying to make the conversation last longer… I didn't know… I didn't want to…" Albus apologized, his head low, his cheeks slightly pink.

"Okay; let's forget about it." David cut him off. "I think you already helped me enough with that potions assignment, thanks." he added and began to gather his books.

"You're leaving?" Albus asked stupidly.

"As you can see… I have some other stuff to do too."

The dark-haired boy nodded in silence. He got up too. "Um, see you later then." Albus said in a low, unsure voice, and walked away. David sighed deeply, regretting his rudeness. He didn't deserve all the efforts Albus was making…

* * *

><p>Scorpius was pacing around the Slytherin common room impatiently. He was seriously starting to regret what he had done for Albus.<p>

"Can't you sit your fucking arse down for a second?"

"Ugh, shut up, Wilson." Scorpius said, finally standing still.

"You're even worse than me." Ethan joked, shaking his head in disbelief. "Don't worry; he'll come back… _hopefully._"

Scorpius glared at him but an amused smile had appeared on his face. "But…"

Ethan silenced him with an imperative hand gesture. "He's what? Five minutes late?"

"No! Half an hour!"

Ethan laughed at the face Scorpius made. "Well, maybe your boyfriend isn't that clever and can't explain things properly to David."

"Or maybe _David_ sucks too much at potions to get anything." Scorpius retorted.

Ethan's smirk disappeared. "Don't force me to punch you." he said, narrowing his eyes. Scorpius lifted an eyebrow. "I could say the exact same thing to you." Ethan's face softened a little. His lips curled up into a crooked smile.

"That's the Malfoy I like." he teased the other boy.

"Since when did you become so protective, by the way?" Scorpius asked.

The taller boy shrugged. "You never seemed to care about anyone before…" Scorpius pursued.

"It's different with him. He… David somehow changed me." Ethan said and shrugged again.

"Whoa, that sounds deep." Scorpius joked. "Looks like you stopped spending your time only…"

Ethan burst out laughing. "It seems so."

Scorpius had to admit that he was genuinely surprised. His friend behaved better indeed. He just couldn't get how Collins had contributed in any way. Collins seemed so… _average_.

"I know what you're thinking." Ethan said. "I'll answer you with another question: what's so special about that Potter kid?"

Scorpius opened his mouth to say something but then closed it. He didn't want to start an argument with Ethan. Besides, Albus would soon be back. _Hopefully_.

Scorpius sprawled on the couch, ignoring Ethan's smug expression.

"Ugh, stop tapping your foot or sit somewhere else!" Ethan exclaimed in an exasperate tone some moments later.

"I can't!" Scorpius whimpered.

At that time, the door opened.

"At last!" Ethan exclaimed, lifting his arms up in the air in an exaggerated manner. "Now I'll finally get some tranquillity."

Scorpius sighed and Albus looked at them with confusion.

"Oh, Potter, where is David by the way?"

"Um, he's coming in a minute." _I think_.

Ethan gave him a nod and went back to reading his newspaper. Scorpius got up. He smiled faintly at Albus and headed to the dormitory, clearly expecting the dark-haired boy to follow him.

* * *

><p>"Al, don't get mad, but I… I think you're spending too much time with Collins…" Scorpius said in a low voice, still caressing Albus' hair but avoiding his gaze.<p>

They were lying on Scorpius's bed, Albus' head resting on the blond boy's chest. Albus got on his elbows. "What?" he asked incredulously.

"You, erm, you're really only talking about potions and arithmacy, aren't you?"

"Huh? No?"

Scorpius' eyes went wide in horror. He straightened up so abruptly that their heads almost collided. "_What do you mean_?"

Albus started laughing uncontrollably. Scorpius was staring at him as if he was insane.

"Merlin, you can be so stupid!" Albus exclaimed when he finally regained his breath. And then, when he saw Scorpius' scandalized expression and round eyes, he laughed again.

"What?" Scorpius asked impatiently.

"You are _so_ jealous!"

"No!"

"Oh, yes, you are! And you're also adorably silly."

"Okay, okay, I admit it." the blond boy said with a pout that looked more like an awkward smile. "But who wouldn't be?"

Albus gently pushed Scorpius down and lay on top of him again. He took Scorpius' tie between his fingers and began playing with it. Then he looked at his boyfriend. "We are friends, Scorp; we don't spend our time only studying. But that doesn't mean anything that should upset you. You have to trust me." Albus said kindly. "And trust David too." the dark-haired boy added before Scorpius could object. Scorpius shrugged, still not completely convinced. "You know," he said, "I could be the one to help you with arithmacy… So we could spend more time alone…"

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, you're such a spoiled brat!"

"_Me_? Of course _not_!" Scorpius exclaimed, trying to sound indignant. They both chuckled and then Albus said: "Besides, David is better at arithmacy than you."

"I beg you pardon?" the blond boy asked, utterly outraged.

"It's the truth. Life's tough, isn't it?" Albus teased him.

"How _dare_ you? What an awful person you are! I can hardly recognize you anymore…"

Albus' giggles echoed in the stony room. The blond boy couldn't help laughing too.

Scorpius flipped the other boy over and kissed him, softly at first, and then much more passionately. Albus responded eagerly, whilst lifting up Scorpius' sweater and shirt, sliding his hands over the smooth skin.

* * *

><p><em>One week later, at the train station.<em>

"Um, well, have fun." James said flatly.

He had thrown a tantrum when he had learnt that their parents had let Albus stay at Hogwarts with his _boyfriend_. They hadn't even considered it when _he_ had proposed the same thing back in third year! It was so unfair!

"Aw, come on, James, you know I'll miss all of you!" Albus said and hugged his brother. The taller boy mumbled something like 'really hope so'. He let go far too quickly and turned to face Scorpius. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I'm warning you; if I ever hear anything, _anything_, I won't hesitate for the briefest second to beat you up until you wish you weren't born."

"I never doubted that." Scorpius replied in an amused tone.

James narrowed his eyes even more. He really didn't like that guy. But, of course, he had to act civilly to him, because all the Potters had welcomed with enthusiasm the news — especially Lily. She always seemed a little crazy…

Albus had tensed a little, just like every time James and Scorpius were some meters away from each other. "Give them my greetings, okay?" Albus told his brother, trying to ease the tension.

"Yeah, I will."

James gave Albus a pat on the back, before shaking Scorpius' hand with a wince.

Then, Albus went to say goodbye to Rose and Lily, who were having a very animated discussion with their friends, while Scorpius was talking with some Slytherins.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you can't find a way to come over for a couple of days?" David asked.<p>

"I already told you that my parents have some expectations from me. You know I don't appreciate it much, but I can't go against the flow — at least not until I finish school." Ethan replied.

David frowned. "Is that really the reason?"

The blond sighed loudly. "We've talked about that, haven't we?"

Since the other boy remained silent, Ethan got up of the bench and went to sit on David's lap, straddling him. He took David's face between his hands, his own face extremely serious, looking almost angry.

"Listen, I understand that it can be difficult for you to trust people, but you know me better than that. If it was only a game for me, we would have been over long ago."

The brown-haired boy seemed to consider it, and eventually be convinced. Ethan softly brushed his fingertips against David's cheek, which was a much unexpected sign of affection since Ethan's manners were usually rough. He leaned in and slowly brushed his lips against David's, so very slowly that it felt almost like torture. David wrapped his arms around Ethan's waist and pressed the other boy against his chest. The kiss deepened, tongues fighting for dominance, teeth biting and clashing. Ethan's hand was tightly gripping David's nape, his hips pushing the other boy down, as if he wanted to melt their bodies together. David let out a groan and slid his hands in Ethan's pants, cupping his butt cheeks. The blond boy arched his back, asking for more.

And then, suddenly, they heard someone cough. The two teenagers turned towards the compartment door… to see a very red looking Albus Potter, who was staring at David's hands. David quickly withdrew said hands, feeling his cheeks get hot.

"You're interrupting, _Potter_." Ethan said harshly.

"I-I'm really sorry, I…" the dark-haired boy mumbled. "David, I was looking for you…"

"I'll be back in a sec'." David whispered in Ethan's ear. The blond boy stood up to let him go. Albus went to the train corridor, David following him.

"I'm sorry," Albus repeated, "I didn't see you much this week, so I thought it would be nice to wish you happy holidays face to face…"

"Yeah, I was a little busy lately…" David said and briefly glanced in Ethan's direction. "Um, thanks, happy holidays to you too."

Albus smiled and gave him an awkward hug. "Er, I wanted to apologize about last time…I was a bit too rude. Sorry." David eventually said.

"It's okay, I understand."

David grinned at him, and after some last greetings, he went back to his compartment. And before Albus left the Hogwarts Express, he heard Ethan say "I promise you I'll try to convince my parents."

* * *

><p>Albus was staring at the decorated ceiling, eyes wide open. He couldn't sleep. He felt too happy to be able to sleep. Scorpius was fast asleep apparently, his breathing low and even. Albus tightened his arms around the other boy. He still couldn't believe they were together… It seemed too good to be true. But it <em>was<em>, Albus reminded himself and grinned like an idiot in the darkness. He closed his eyes. He _had_ to sleep; it would be a long day tomorrow. December 25th.

Time ticked by, but Albus couldn't stop his brain from thinking. There was no way to suppress his excitement. It was so different from the previous years. He would spend his favourite time of the year with the person he loved, alone.

He felt Scorpius stir. Albus loosened his grip. The blond boy slowly turned to face him. He looked surprised to find him awake. A broad smile appeared on his face.

"Al, it's midnight." Scorpius muttered. "Merry Christmas." he greeted him, before fondly kissing the tip of Albus' nose.

"Merry Christmas, Scorp." the dark-haired boy said, grinning form ear to ear.

Scorpius kissed him again, this time on the lips. Then, Albus snuggled against Scorpius' chest, letting his eyelids fall, feeling serene but also strangely alive. Because as people rightly say: love is friendship set on fire.

* * *

><p><em>This is the star, this is your heart<em>

_This is the day you were born_

_This is the sun, these are your lungs_

_This is the day you were born_

_._

_And I am always, always, always yours_

_And I am always, always, always yours_

_._

_These are the scars deep in your heart_

_This is the place you were born_

_And this is the hole where most of your soul comes ripping out_

_From the place you've been torn_

_._

_And it is always, always, always yours_

_And I am always, I'm always, I'm always yours_

_._

_Hallelujah, I'm caving in_

_Hallelujah, I'm in love again_

_Hallelujah, I'm a wretched man_

_Hallelujah, every breath is a second chance, yeah_

_._

_And it is always, always, always yours_

_And I am always, I'm always, always yours_

_Yeah, yeah, I'm always yours, I'm yours_

_Yeah, yeah, I am always yours_

* * *

><p><em><span>AN:_

_Lyrics are from the song 'Always', by Switchfoot. (I love this band) I own nothing. (I cannot not think of Snape/Lily whenever I see that word btw…)_

_There's also another song by the same band that I frickin' love and that I wanted to put in this fic, but I couldn't put two songs… It's called 'Your love is a song'. I think it suits Al and Scorp a lot. Go listen to it if you want:)_

_So that was the last chapter of this fic… The feeling is bittersweet. I'm happy to have finally finished something, but I'm sad that it came to an end. As I've already told you in my long, useless author's notes, I'm way too attached to fictional characters. Speaking of characters, you have no idea how much it makes me feel happy and proud to see that you grew to love my OCs so much. I didn't expect such a response. At first, the fic was supposed to be maximum five chapters LOL, with no OCs, no nothing. But yeah, things turned out differently. I'll miss David and Ethan a lot. Which is why I think about mentioning them, just a tiny bit, in my next fic (in another context obviously, you know, just to keep them 'alive' in some way). _

_Also, just to make it clear, David isn't still in love with Albus, Ethan is much more important to him now, but when you have loved someone, it still hurts to see them with another person, because it reminds you that they preferred someone else…_

_And yes, I'll write another AS/S fic:)__ I already have the plot ready. I don't know when it will be up though… I wanted to write as much chapters as I could before starting to post it. It will have more angst, less fluffiness, and Scorpius will act a little differently. A bit OOC compared to my headcanon, but the story has to be different. I really hope you liked this one and, hopefully, look forward to the next one._

_Thanks for all your support__ (Jeez, I feel like I'm giving an official/important speech or something)_

_Also, thanks to my lovely betas, Hannah and Celine for helping me make this story better. (by the way, Hannah, if you ever read this, let me know:P) _

_That is all;)_

_P.S. Sorry for the X-mas spirit overload in October._


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